Wednesday 25 September 2013

Why I Tweet

I am writing this blog in response to something that happened to me today that I can't let go of although I know I should.  I feel the need to say, or in this case blog, my piece so I can be at peace.  Here's hoping I find it!

I am a mom first and a teacher second, I am many other things but these are the most important to me; they are my passions, my callings and they bring meaning and joy to my life every day.

That is not to say that there aren't days that I want to gouge my eyes out because of something my children have said or done or something that happens at school!  There are days I am hanging by a thread...

I work in a great place surrounded by great people; sometimes we see things the same way, often times we don't but I am enriched by their perspective as it allows me to develop, to refine and to adapt my own. I work in an incredible profession.  One that is constantly evolving and changing. One that demands so much of so many who are so willing to give it.

I know what I think constitutes "best practice" in my field based on research, reading and my own lived experience.  What I think or believe may not be the truth (if there is a truth) but part of what is so important about my profession is being able to advocate for "best practice" in so many ways; through dialogue, professional reading, trial and error and social media.  This is for the benefit of all children, not just the ones in the school where I work, not just my own, but the children all over the world whose teachers are blogging, posting and sharing and becoming better, stronger and smarter through this amazing collective wisdom.

Certainly this makes us vulnerable as we tread on those swirling waters. Once you press send, post or publish, your words, ideas, questions and frustrations are out there and with that comes the knowledge that you will post something that someone doesn't like or finds offensive in some way.

My main purpose using twitter specifically is to connect with professionals whose wisdom and experience is far greater than my own in order to hone my craft, to adapt my beliefs and to experiment in new ideas in the name of "best practice".  Through this forum I have been at times enlightened, at times enraged and always engaged by the insight of my colleagues far and near.  Who knew140 characters could have such power?  With power comes responsibility.  I accept responsibility for things I have posted, linked to, tweeted and retweeted to question, to comment and to provoke.

The fact is, as an educator , I do not believe in home spelling programs delivered without context as they fly in the face of my beliefs about assessment and "best practice" in language instruction.  The fact is, as a parent, when my kids bring home spelling words and assignments, I do my best to help them study and complete their assignments because that is my job as a mom. The fact is there are plenty of instructional practices I do not care for. The fact is, these same practices may work great for someone else. The fact is, when I call the practice (not the person) into question, I am fortunate to have a PLN who is quick to chime in with their ideas pro and con and, often times, some great links for further insight.

If you read this through I hope it helps you to know a little bit about who I am, about why I tweet.  I have not intended any of my tweets to be malicious or hurtful and if they are or were, please accept my apology and know that if that is the case the easiest thing to do is click unfollow.