#TwitteratiChallenge! by @TeacherToolkit

Welcome to #TwitteratiChallenge!

In this blog, I share my top go-to sources of collegiality; those colleagues I regularly go to for support and challenge.

In this blog/challenge, I am sharing my top-5 go-to sources of educator-friendship from Twitter. I follow around 600 colleagues on Twitter and interact with many, many more. You can find my 101 Great Teachers to Follow on Twitter here.

#TwitteratiChallenge is about the colleagues that I communicate with online, more often than others, and with those who I have formed a friendship with over a number of years. Some of the people I have chosen below, I have only ever met physically once or twice, yet speak to in some form online, regularly via blogs, Twitter, direct messages or even using the old-fashioned telephone!

“One day, you’ll count your best friends on one hand!” (Mother)

… and she was right.

#TwitteratiChallenge?

In the spirit of social-media-educator friendships, this summer it is time to recognise your most supportive colleagues in a simple blogpost shout-out. Whatever your reason, these 5 educators should be your 5 go-to people in times of challenge and critique, or for verification and support.

Rules:

There are only 3 rules.

1. You cannot knowingly include someone you work with in real life.
2. You cannot list somebody that has already been named if you are already made aware of them being listed on #TwitteratiChallenge
3. You will need to copy and paste the title of this blogpost and (the Rules and What To Do) information into your own blog post.

What To Do?

There are 5 to-dos you must use if you would like to nominate your own list of colleagues.

1. Within 7 days of being nominated by somebody else, you need to identify colleagues that you rely regulalry go-to for support and challnege. They have now been challenged and must act as participants of the #TwitteratiChallenge.
2. If you’ve been nominated, you must write your own #TwitteratiChallenge blogpost within 7 days. If you do not have your own blog, try @StaffRm.
3. The educator nominated, that means you reading this must either: a) record a video of themselves (using Periscope?) in continuous footage and announce their acceptance of the challenge, followed by a pouring of your (chosen) drink over a glass of ice.
4. Then, the drink is to be lifted with a ‘cheers’ before the participant nominates their five other educators to participate in the challenge.
5. The educator that is now (newly) nominated, has 7 days to compose their own #TwitteratiChallenge blogpost and identify who their top-5 go-to educators are.

Top 5 Twitterati:

In no particular order, these 5 educators below (and not colleagues I work with) are my first port of call for feedback, support and critique.

@cijane02

Marc knows how to break down barriers. We first connected whilst he was still working as a deputy headteacher in Hong Kong. Since then, he now teaches in Glasgow and continues to help all teachers engage with psychology and neuroscience. I finally met Mark in February 2015 at STEP conference. Mark also blogs and you can tweet him here.

I am waiting for Mark to respond to the challenge …

@MooreLynne1

Primary headteacher, mum, tweeter and blogger, Lynne is passionate about children getting the very best out of their education. I first met Lynne at my very own TeachMeetLondon. She blogs here on Village School Head. Click here to tweet.

Lynne responded to the challnege on 10.5.15. Read it here.

@PivotalPaul

Paul Dix is a behaviour specialist transforming schools across the UK and overseas. He is a speaker, ex-Drama teacher and writer. I have worked with Paul for several years in two schools. He is the Managing Director for Pivotal Education, a superb company that supports schools, teachers and students in achieving outstanding teaching! Click here to tweet.

Paul responded to the challnege on 30.4.15. Read it here.

@LeadingLearner

An executive heateacher of Christ the King, St. Cuthbert’s and St. Mary’s Catholic Academies. Stephen is also the chair of the SSAT Vision 2040 Group. I first met Stephen when he agreed to co-host my SLTeachMeet event in July 2014. He blogs and you can tweet him here.

Stephen responded to the challnege on 4.5.15. Read it here.

@cherrylkd

Cherryl is an assistant headteacher and CPD leader, responsible for newly qualified teachers. She blogs passionately about SEN education and has stirred the media several times with some of her thoughts! She teaches in Blackpool. I have yet to meet Cherryl, but she is someone who I have built up an online level of trust with over the years. Click here to tweet.

Cherryl responded to the challnege on 30.4.15. Read it here.

*optional:

*Donations to charity, or the choice of drink is of course, optional. Please use the hashtag #TwitteratiChallenge!

Click the image to say ‘Cheers!’

10.5.15: Look at this great example here by Chris Francis, @DevNicely.