by Jenn Hayhurst
On January 12, 2017 #G2Great opened up a conversation that allowed us to find a Common Ground for Beliefs, Collaborations, and Compromises. With every good conversation it has become clearer to me that Twitter is a vital tool for educators. I say this because it offers a free public forum that promotes professional engagement and growth. Educating our nation’s youth is a nuanced and complex endeavor. We will never agree on one way for teaching and learning. The reason is that there is no simplistic “one way” to teach. Teaching and learning is sophisticated work and cannot be boiled down to formulaic rituals.
Our common ground is our dedication to students, and our ambitions for personal excellence that pulls the thread through the needle and knits us together in a common goal: let us do all that we can to keep students at the forefront. How do we do this? The answer lies in the questions we ask ourselves:
- Beliefs intentionally help us define why: What is my why?
- Collaboration opens us up to innovation: How can I embrace innovation?
- Compromise necessitates shifting perspective: How can I learn from another to inform my next move?
Chances are if you’ve read this post you are already a connected educator, You are leading by example so we thank you for your dedication and service. You are supporting the same kinds of professional constructs that our students are sure to inherit in an increasingly connected world. We need you now more than ever. According to Current US Poverty Statistics: “The official poverty rate is 14.5%, meaning 45.3 million people in the US live … More than 1 in 5 children in America (21.8%) are living under the official poverty line.” One thing we can all agree on is that all children have a right to a quality education – and teachers are our first line of defense.
Poverty is not an abstraction for teachers. Its impact is revealed to us through the more than 1 in 5 children who come to school each day and depend on us to do the right thing in their name. Teachers are leaders and we need to sound the call and encourage our colleagues to take action. Get connected. Get engaged. Be prepared to push yourself out of your comfort zone. It does not matter if we all agree. The real heart of the matter is that we keep the conversation going.
Here are some tweets to bring back to your schools as a rally cry. Get connected because our students deserve our nothing less:
