#NoExcuse, Tell Your Story, or Don't Cry About It

There has been a lot of talk about Twitter in Education.  Those of us who use it swear by it.  Those that don't can't understand why we do.

There are experts that will tell you why it's so awesome. Like Eric Sheninger and Steve Anderson.

But I had a conversation with my director about this topic.  For those who do not know him, @MrBrettClark is all atwitter about Twitter.  Someone had asked why.  There are the obvious reasons, as stated in the above links, that there are experts a mere little-blue-bird-click away.  Why reinvent the wheel when you can send a tweet and get back great resources?

But Clark brings up a great point.  Let's say that you are awesome teacher.  Chances are that you are not observed frequently by the administration.  I would often invite my admin in when my kids were about to do something spectacular, but they are very busy people and were not always able to make my awesomeness party.

Instead, they would step in when we were testing. Or worse.... HOUSEKEEPING.  There's nothing that makes your heart drop quicker than an administrator walking through your door while 30 students sit at desks silently putting pencil to paper taking a benchmark test.  You are behind your desk, frantically trying to update grades and parent contact logs.  When the door opens, you look up, make eye contact, and SPRING from your chair.  You walk around... to do what?  You whisper revision suggestions, remind students to put their names on their papers.  Admin questions a student, he shrugs, you face-palm.  Worst.  Observation.  Ever.

Or is it worse when they walk in while you are going over the calendar for next week, or reminding kids of missing assignments, or genuinely have a 5 minute lag in a week and a half of perfect transitions and lesson-planning?

Clark's point is this.  If these moments are what you count on, you only have yourself to blame.  If you are judged only on the walk-throughs that may or may not happen each semester, it's your own fault.  Why?!  Because Twitter, that's why.

If you are using Twitter, your awesomeness can be on display on the daily, yo.  Your administrators can follow what is happening in your class all the time.  Parents know that when their kids say "nothing", it's not nothing.

Your principal knows you make contact with awesome educators and network with peers.  He or she knows you collaborate because you tweeted that Google Hangout with that class from Nebraska.  The principal knows because parents say, "I love follow my student's class on twitter."

"But my principal's not on the Twitter."  Is that so?  Create a virtual Twitter outside your room where you print (yes, forgive me, I just said the P word) Tweets.  Embed tweets in newsletters.  Install a Twitter widget on your class webpage.  Twitter is a quick tool that says "I'm awesome, I'm connected, and I'm a life-long learner."  There are #NoExcuses.

Lastly, If I do not put a pic, Pinterest will automatically make my face the picture linked to this blog post.  So remember, balance your followers to those you follow.  Unless you are famous.