I have a Twitter account. It still has my maiden name on it. It hasn't posted a tweet in over 3 years. I think it is time for my twitter account to start flapping its wings again. 

The main way that a I want to begin using Twitter, in a professional capacity, is as a way to communicate with students.  I am a major advocate for turing work in on time and I have very strict late work policies, especially for my honors students.  This can sometimes be a major difference for students depending on previous teachers they have had. I would love to be able to tweet reminders for upcoming deadlines.  Being able to send reminders to students that they can see in their twitter feeds is a really good way to keep them focused.  

Twitter can also allow parents another form of communication to keep up with what is going on in their child's classroom. It is often too overwhelming for me, as a teacher of over 175 students, to keep parents informed.  Parents want to be involved, but sometimes they don't know when and how they are supposed to find that involvement.  Making announcements on twitter is a medium that would allow me to make one post and reach a large audience. 

I also want to use Twitter as a way to share with students articles or videos that may relate to what we are learning in the classroom.  With only 44 minute class periods, I am often having to make decisions between what content to include in my classroom.  Twitter would provide me with a platform to share additional resources with students and parents.  This shows a higher level of engagement of both myself, but also for students who are still developing their sense of curiosity. 

I also have some selfishness influencing my want to pick up using Twitter again.  It is a great opportunity to build a brand for my teaching.  As I am beginning to develop a more professional persona hoping to lead into an administrative position, I need to demonstrate that I can use social media effectively.  Social media is a key to developing relationships within communities and has become an essential skill for administrators in the MSD of Wayne Township.  If I can create a positive, professional, and engaging presence on social media, it can provide me with an advantage and I begin to navigate the administrative job hunt. 






This graphic sums up the reasons I just listed out for what I want to begin utilizing Twitter again. There are so many additional opportunities to use Twitter.  Look over this list and comment if any of them would be an activity you plan on using in your own classroom!