Leveraging Social Media as a Lifeline
The benefits that come when collaborating with colleagues and other teachers are undeniable. Sharing ideas, insight, resources, and the highs and lows of lessons and units are all valuable things that come from connecting with others in the profession and being given the time to collaborate together.
The question is though, how do we continue to collaborate and network with one another with:
limited planning time
dwindling professional development days spent on topics relevant to us
almost non-existent paid days to attend workshops and seminars?
It feels like there has been a shift the last few years. Professional development and opportunities to collaborate with, learn from and connect with other teachers are now up to us to source and find time for outside of contract hours. Talk about making things difficult for us!
The good news is that in this modern day and age, we have social media and the ability to search for just about anything we could imagine and think of. Scrolling through Teachergrams, reading specialized Meta group posts, or browsing X for the latest teacher-world tweets are all ways we can learn something new and connect with one another without having to physically be somewhere or dedicating large blocks of our personal time.
I have been a core French teacher for the majority of my time spent in the classroom, and it is usually the case that I am one of the few, if not the only, core French teacher in the building. Being able to connect with other core French teachers online has been somewhat of a lifeline for me. It is one of the only ways I am able to learn about what others are doing in their classes and what resources are worth investing in.
Connecting with other teachers virtually does not always feel so easy.
With the need for sharing ideas and teaching inspiration online skyrocketing during the pandemic, trying to find what you need and navigating different social media platforms can sometimes feel overwhelming.
Here are some tips and tricks that can help you navigate the wealth of teacher related content on the internet so you can find ideas and information that suits your needs:
Search - Find your social media platform of choice and utilize the search tab. Using a hashtag to search for content you need is the best way to get what you need out of your search. If you are looking for location-specific or subject-specific content, use that in your hashtag (i.e., #ontarioteachers #corefrenchteachers).
Follow and Subscribe - Once you find a page or person that produces content relevant to your needs, make sure you follow or subscribe. Teacher content producers tend to mention or plug other content creators/pages that do similar things, so keeping up with their posts can open up new doors for you to explore what else is out there.
Post - Whether it is a question you have for someone who has shared something you are interested in, or putting your own ideas out there, posting in a teacher community is another great way to continue learning from others.
The world of online teacher content is vast. You can find so much inspiration and many useful materials or resources ready for you to take into your own teaching. It can feel overwhelming at times, so learning how to navigate the space for your needs is vital.
I hope you are able to take these tips and tricks and have them work for you! 💻📱
A BIG thanks to our first blog writer, Julie, for sharing her experiences with planning in an Ontario public school.
We’d love to hear from you! Become a writer for our blog & comment below with your answers to these questions:
Does this story resonate with you?
How do you navigate planning with limited time and resources?
If you could change the way you plan now, what would you do? What do you need to make this happen?