Getting Started with EduTwitter

Online PLCs never looked so good. The cohort of educators on Twitter are constantly having in-depth conversations with each other and sharing relevant thoughts in the moment. Having a digital presence as a teacher shows that you are invested in connecting with others and understand today's tech.

Twitter is known for its fast-paced, short character count messages. Celebrities use it and respond to everyday folks, but did you know that teachers are all over Twitter? In college, my ed-tech class encouraged us to use it to find and collaborate with a subject-specific PLC (professional learning community).

I love EduTwitter for a few reasons. The character count forces me to be succinct. No rambling rants (like some I have seen in online book studies!). The people are usually content-area oriented. I have the ability to virtually meet people that I otherwise might not have the opportunity to meet. This is especially true for folks who specialize in performance areas... we're pretty busy with our students when we cross paths in person! Toxic talk is often squashed quickly and drama is easily ignored.

But, how do I set up an "edu Twitter"? Is it like my personal social media?

It can be a lot like your personal social media if you choose. This post will walk you through how to set up and create your online "Teacher Presence" using Twitter. I choose to make my Teacher Presence different than my personal presence, and will explain that as well.

Step 1: Create a professional Twitter account.

Your first step will be to create a user handle - the thing that comes after the @ sign and does not change. Consider some descriptors such as your subject area or grade level, a personal detail, or a favorite color. Some examples (that might be taken): CreativeMrJones, SocialButterfly3rd, JonesBioLab101. Be creative, but keep in simple.

Quick Tip: My username got flagged when I first created it because "in choir" sounds a lot like "inquire." Check yourself for accidental bad sounds when your words are back to back, like "AmandaMN" (see the ending?). We're aiming for professional! 😊

Link directly to Twitter's sign-up page here. If you want to check out mine, I am @MrsKapsInChoir on Twitter.

Step 2: Choose a solid profile picture.

A picture helps others understand who you are. Do you want to be seen as über professional and want to use your school headshot? Fine. Do you want to show off what antics happen in your classroom? Great. It's 100% up to you. A few tips:

Let's see your face. The circle on Twitter is tiny and looks even smaller on a phone. Frame your whole face when possible. Seeing only your eyes, nose, and mouth can be really creepy.
No photos of students. Do not use photos that include your students. Do not. Do not. Do not.
Feel confident with your photo! Tweets can be saved, so you'll want to look your best if someone quotes you.

Step 3: Choose your privacy settings.

Do you want everyone to be able to see your professional tweets or just people who follow you? If your settings are private (the 🔒 next to handles), only approved followers can see your tweets. For professional twitter, I recommend against this. The goal of a professional account is to establish an online presence for your teaching stile. A caveat is that you can temporarily go into private mode during job interviews if you feel an eduTwitter might hurt your prospects. Let's be honest, if you want an online presence and a district does not want that for you, are you really a good match?

Long story short, be professional and helpful while in public mode. Otherwise it is harder to build or participate in your PLC!

Step 4: Find a PLC (Professional Learning Community).

Twitter works within the world of hashtags (#). These allow people to view tweets by categories or interests that have been tagged. In education, many cohorts hold virtual Twitter chats weekly or monthly to discuss relevant topics in their content area. For example, #musedchat (Music Education Chat) discusses topics at 8pm ET every Monday. One educator moderates and everyone else tweets with the hashtag so others can read and respond.

The Twitter user @tealkreadsing frequently updates and posts edu chats so that users can find something specific to their area. Check it out! https://twitter.com/talkreadsing

Step 5: Write some tweets!

Introduce yourself in your first tweet and make sure others see it!

See how I used a few hashtags to connect others with me even though I haven't gained followers yet? The folks following #edutwitter (likely teachers and administrators) will see it as well as content specific folks (music educators in my case).

A good rule of thumb for professional social media: If you would not say something in your building, you should not share it on your professional account. Some examples:

✅ A shared article about the benefits of smaller classroom sizes.
✅ Personal anecdote about one of the extracurriculars you coach.
✅ Funny experience from today's 4th grade "science of sound" experiments.
✅ Personal experiences that are not too revealing and relevant to you as an educator.
❌ Personal information about my students. Good or bad. This includes pictures and video!
❌ Down-talk about people or decisions taking place in your district.
❌ Personal topics, such as what tattoo you're getting after work, how awesome your beer touring vacation was, etc.

Because deciding how much personal info is too much on eduTwitter can be tricky, I wanted to give some further thoughts. I live in the small community where I work. If I go get coffee from a local business and it is AMAZING (it always is), I am going to share that. My community has a community pride hashtag, and I will use that.

If my coworkers or friends and I are having happy hour in my back yard, I am not going to put that on eduTwitter. What's the difference? One event shows I am invested in my district's community culture. The other, while occurring in the same general area and including community members, only shows that I like to be social. Purely social = probably not appropriate.

A note on controversial posts:

Should you remain non-controversial? That's up to you. If you want to make a stand against PD that wastes your time, go for it. It was on my home page today and retweeted by a bunch of educators I follow. Your presence should reflect you, but it should also show that you can have a respectful dialogue about whatever stance you are making.

Step 6: Follow others (and potentially gain followers).

Following people and hashtags will allow you to see what others are up to in your home feed. If your account is public, others will be able to see how many people you follow. But you're new, who do you follow?

Your school!
Other educators in your building (if you can find them).
Local businesses that you patronize.
Political leaders who might share interesting info. ⚠️ If you do not want your political affiliation known, save this one for your personal account.
Local and national NEA, office of education, professional associations, etc.

When you start commenting on and receiving comments from others, you can follow people who share your enthusiasm about anything your heart desires. Best of luck with your new PLC and Twitter presence! Enjoy it!

Once you create your amazing Twitter edu-presence, follow me and introduce yourself! I would love to see what wonderful things you do with your account! @MrsKapsInChoir

This post is for informative purposes only. The content posted to your social media accounts is your responsibility alone. I am in no way responsible for the content you produce and/or consequences resulting from posted content.