I was introduced to Twitter as a tool for professional development by my tech coach (@jrichardson30) almost exactly one year ago. Since then I've gone through phases where I have been engaged in conversations and others where I forgot those conversations existed. Still, I've recognized Twitter's value but always felt I wasn't experiencing it to the fullest. Today that changed as I began working with my reading coach to explore the idea of using literacy circles with primary sources in my 7th grade classroom. She and I spent an hour making adjustments to the lesson so that it would be more appropriate for non-fiction writings. I showed her my sources and felt confident in the plan that she had shown me. However, I was still uneasy and wanting to discuss this with someone that had tried it before. Its the same uneasiness any teacher feels when they leave their comfort zone. That feeling is professional growth, but it's still uncomfortable. That's when the thought occurred: Twitter. So I grabbed my phone and sent a simple tweet.
I'm about to commit a week to studying primary sources leading to the Dec of Ind. any suggestions? #sschat
Two hours later I had sources and ideas being tweeted back to me from others that had been in my shoes before - uneasy but motivated to try. Their suggestions and sources were helpful but their willingness to support another teacher's professional growth was the most encouraging. Thanks @grkenyon & @johnsonmaryj. Your professionalism will help me grow and I'll pass that on to another teacher when given the opportunity. Together we'll grow our profession and reach students across the country. This would not have been possible without Twitter and that was a conversation worth having.
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