A Teacher’s Guide to Social Media

I recently had the privilege of attending a conference with thousands of educators (yes, it was the days before social distancing!). I enjoyed reconnecting with old friends and colleagues and networking with new folks who I was meeting for the first time.

At one point, I was visiting with Dan, and Nancy came over and said, “Hello.” Being the intermediary, I politely introduced the two of them to which they nearly synchronously exclaimed, “Hey! We’re connected on LinkedIn. It’s nice to MEET you.” I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. While I’ve worked with, and even hired, people that I’d never met, this was the first time I’d been involved in orchestrating an impromptu face-to-face introduction such as this. What was truly amazing is that Dan and Nancy have been corresponding, networking, and chatting on social media.

My response to this whole encounter? “Wow! I’m definitely gonna have to go tweet this.”

Social media for teachers is a great way for educators to connect, swap ideas, draw from the experiences of others, and keep up with the latest trends. Creating an account is simple and free. Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are a great place to start. So if you don’t have one – it’s time to start, and if you are already on these networks, check out Professional Learning Board, I’d love to connect!

Some food for thought:

• How can you use new social media channels to network with other educators?
• If you are already on social media, how can you better utilize the platform for your professional enrichment?

Looking for more info about social media for teachers? You can check out what’s trending in education by following Professional Learning Board on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About the Author
Ellen Paxton is a respected expert in education and best known as the Chief Learning Officer of Professional Learning Board. As a two-time National Board Certified Teacher, Ellen has successfully published and customized online professional development courses and Learning Management Systems for 20 years to help teachers meet their state continuing education renewal credit requirements. Through ProfessionalLearningBoard.com, RenewaTeachingLicense.com, and ConnectedPD.com. Ellen has established solutions and maintained partnerships with several accredited universities, higher education institutions, teachers’ unions and state Departments of Education while setting strategic direction that makes a difference and overseeing implementation of popular online PD.