You’ve started to hang out on Twitter a little bit and want to start using it to connect with other teachers on Twitter (here are a bunch of great ones to follow), to really start learning. What should your next steps be? Here are three ideas you can implement tonight:
1. Retweet articles that you think are important or valuable.
Retweeting is super-easy. If you see an article or tweet that you think is important, interesting or worth repeating, simply hit the retweet button. The original tweet will be shared with your followers as a retweet. You don’t even have to add anything to the tweet. Your retweet could be what sparks a conversation between you and another educator.
2. Let someone know when their work has helped you by tweeting them.
Did you find a great lesson idea or teaching strategy as you were browsing Twitter? Did you use a lesson plan idea from a blogger on Pinterest? Find out the blogger’s Twitter name (usually listed near the top of their blog) and tweet a quick thank-you to them.
“Used your Dr. Seuss lesson ideas in my class today. They were fab! Thx! @BestPreKTeacher”
Make sure you “tag” the person you’re tweeting by writing their Twitter name after the @ symbol.
3. Participate in a Twitter chat.
If you’re feeling especially brave, join a Twitter chat. Chances are good there’s one happening tonight that covers a topic you’re interested in. Chats are easier now and often happen in a Q&A format. The leader of the chat posts a question. For example, they might post:
Q1: How do you keep kids engaged in your classroom? Â #TheNameOfTheChat
Your tweet in response could be:
A1: I try to use “brain breaks” throughout the day.  #TheNameOfTheChat.
This way, if you search for #TheNameOfTheChat hashtag, you’ll see the questions and all of the replies. You can find chats for almost any topic in education. Look for grade-level chats and subject-area chats to get your feet wet. Here are a few different chats that are fun and welcoming:
#Nt2t: New Teachers to Twitter: Here’s a chat for teachers who are specifically trying to get better at Twitter.
#ElemMathChat
#engchat: English teachers chat
#sschat: Social studies teachers chat
#kinderchat: Kindergarten teachers chat
Don’t see one you like? Here’s a list of over 200 more to check out:
List of Weekly Twitter Chat Times
Do all of these tips feel a little too advanced for your current Twitter skill level? Don’t worry. Twitter can be a hard social media platform to master. Check out these posts for Twitter beginners:
The Edublogger’s Guide to All Things Twitter
Twenty Essential Twitter Rules You’ve Probably Never Heard
Finally, don’t forget to follow We Are Teachers on Twitter for more amazing teaching ideas.
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