A Not So Delusional Guide to Twitter

I have read so many posts on how to get on Twitter and get connected, many of them offer fantastic advice and yet some of them keep reiterating how it is all about following.  Follow one person, and then see who they follow, and then follow them, and soon you will be following so many people you will feel like the most popular kid in the school.  Except you don't.  Instead you feel like the kid who came to prom only to take pictures of all the cool people there.  So I offer up these tips instead for those trying to figure out Twitter.

1. Follow one person, or even 10 but then stop.  Let yourself process what Twitter is and how these people are using the tool.  Don't mass follow, you will find enough people to follow, just take your time.
2. Connect.  Once you have a couple of people you follow, reach out to them.  Tell them you are new, tell them your story, and comment on their blogs.  Open up about yourself, start a conversation, and give them a reason to connect back.
3. Don't give up.  Sometimes I felt like the biggest loser when it came to Twitter; no one thought I was witty, no one rt'ed my posts, until I realized that this is not what Twitter is about.  Twitter is about the connections (I know, I sound like a broken record) so it is not about the retweets or single comments but the dialogue you get involved in and the people you meet.
4. Who cares about Klout?  I didn't realize I had a klout number until my husband asked me what it was.  Then I had to look it up because that little number meant nothing to me; it still doesn't.  If you are asking whether Twitter is worth your time you probably haven't connected with the right people, so keep connecting.
5. Don't worry about the popular kids.  One thing for ongoing discussion has been the grades of popularity Twitter educators seem to have.  Sure there are people with massive followings, but guess what?  They are normal people and they probably have that many followers because they say some really great things and they are good at connecting with others.  It is okay to reach out to them as well, no one is off limits.

So there you have it, my small piece of advice on how to get something out of Twitter.  Of course, you can follow as many people as you want, but think about what your true goal is: numbers or connections?  I for one count my connections just as much as I count my blessings.

A Challenge to All

I was the new kid in town 4 times before I turned 14.  I hated being the new kid.  My sister, Christine, was a dazzler.  She made new friends simply because she arrived, she drew people to her, and she still does.  I was the awkward kid that kind of looked like a boy, had huge feet, and was way too serious for her age.  Not a great combination for dazzling new people.  So when I first joined Twitter, I felt the clammy hand of past embarrassment gain hold of me.  What if no one cared?  What if no one responded?  What if no one followed?  I want to say that I joined Twitter to learn, which I did, but I also joined the blogging and tweeting world to connect with people, and it is this connection that keeps me coming back every day.  It's the connection that urges me to get others to join, that makes me write my heart out on this blog, and that makes me push myself into new challenges.  But what if you just can't make that connection?

There were a couple of people who immidiately took me under their wing Lisa Dabbs @Teachingwthsoul, Edna Sackson @WhatEdSaid and Joan Young @Florishingkids.  If it hadn't been for them, I don't think I would still be tweeting.  So as I look at my own follower count and see it grow way beyond this shy girl's expectations, I wonder, who can I reach out to and how?  How can we make deeper connections, especially with those people that like me felt like the new kid in town?  How can we let people know that Twitter is all about connections and not to be afraid to reach out?

I think a movement has gained momentum lately spearheaded by Katie Hellerman who posted this incredible video: The Connection Challenge.  This then sparked an amazing post by Jabiz Raisdana called "Next Level" which urged us all to reach out and open up.  Cale Birks came up with the idea of the Ten Picture Tour of our schools, which you can follow on Twitter under #10PIXTR. And today Justin Tarte wrote a great post asking what can we do to keep the momentum going called "It's All about Sustainable Momentum.." 

So I have been wanting to open up, after all, I am way to honest on my blog anyway.  And the one world that we often keep hidden is our home, afterall, we can hide behind our computers. What if we did the 10 picture of our homes instead?  Wouldn't that also provide another layer to our connection?  If you see the mess I sit in every day when I blog, will it make you know me better?  So I offer up this challenge:

Do a 10 picture tour of your home.  Nothing fancy, I don't expect masterpieces.

Post it on your blog and tweet it out using the same hashtag #10PIXTR (I hope that's alright).

 Let's see if we can take this connection one step further.

We are Superheroes

We are superheroes. Or at least in the eyes of some students, we are. We can do magic such as melt styrofoam cups, solve complicated algorithms in our head instantaneously, and know exactly what is happening behind us when our backs are turned. We are all-knowing, knowing who needs a hand, a soothing word, a joke. We come to the rescue of students that are lost, disheartened, upset over a fight with another child. And we love endlessly, always ready to share , hug (if allowed), laugh, and even cry. We are superheroes.

And yet, sometimes we forget that, and a raised voice stains our image. A sharpness of tone shows that we might be a little bit evil. A lost temper may prove it once and for all. And the students watch, and talk, and remember. And yet, they continue to believe because we build it back up. We continue our quest to make them superhuman, to make them believe in themselves. To pass on our powers as healers of the world, changers, movers, learners, teachers. We do it all and we do it out of love, respect, necessity. We let our students become our mission because someone has to show them that there is faith that they too will become superheroes one day, that they too will believe in others, that they too will change a life. So believe in yourself so that others may believe in you as well. The difference is being made, just look into the eyes of your students and you will see it. They believe in you, now believe in them.

I am the Reform

I am the reform when I trust other teachers.

I am the reform when I stand united, and not divided.

I am the reform when I discuss, assess, and learn with my students.

I am the reform when I trust in others.

I am the reform when I ask for observation, feedback, and growth opportunities.

I am the reform when I discuss, even with people with whom I disagree.

I am the reform when I reflect, reject and reinvent.

I am the reform when I ask for help.

I am the reform when I learn more.

I am the reform when I am not afraid.

I am the reform when I listen and I speak.

I am the reform when I believe.

Are you the reform?

26 Kids and Counting...

Sometimes I feel like the Duggars.  You know, that super huge family on TLC that keeps having children, just happy with whatever they get.  I am kind of like that except these are not my natural children, but "my kids," those students I adopt every year since they are part of my classroom.  And just like a proud parent, I welcome them all, ever searching for their strengths, acknowledging their weaknesses and going through life together; one day at a time.

You see, that is what teachers do.  Those kids become our kids, or at least they do for me.  And so today when I got wind that an old student of mine was coming back and was being placed in the other 5th grade room, I asked for him in my room.  I am in a position this year where I teach a 4/5 combination class and therefore have quite a few of my old students.  He therefore belongs with me, someone who already knows his strengths and also what he needs help with the most.  More importantly in this situation, stability will aslo be a great benefit.  So although my class keeps expanding, so does my hopes for it.  Yes, one more student means more work, but it also means more learning opportunities, more friendships, more successes, and more happiness.  So when I waddle my kids down the hallway and I look back at them, we look like the never ending line of students and that is alright with me.

And yet, I wouldn't trade my kids for anything, not even a smaller class size or an "easier" day.  As our class sizes grow (I may be getting another student as well), I hope that my kids are not taken away from me.  Even though we have only spent a week together, I am connecting and connected.  I want these students to trust me, trust each other, and trust themselves.  I want them to know that we are on a journey together and that none of them are expandable.

So while some teachers may joke that they are going to retire as class sizes increase or lament the prep time they just lost because they had to help with a student, me; I don't mind it.  It means that I am with my students, helping them learn, which is, after all, my job.  The joke in my family is that I am like the Statue of Liberty sometimes, always beckoning lost souls to enter and find a home.  And perhaps it is true, maybe I do connect well with students, maybe I just happen to catch them at just the right time in their life.  Whatever the reason or circumstance; something clicks and more often than not, we become a family.  I believe in all of the kids I am trusted with and I believe more importantly theat they have tremendous potential, whether they want to believe it or not.  So go ahead, send me another student or two.  I promise to work hard to make them feel like one of my kids, to make them learn, to make them grow.  Because that is what teachers do.