My First Two Twitter Chat Experiences

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The two Twitter chats I participated in were #TEDEdChat and #6thchat. Absolutely loved both chats and highly recommend both of them. It’s truly amazing to see how quick and easy your PLN can grow through these Twitter chats. What started out as a scary, uncomfortable, and hectic experience, quickly turned into something exciting, valuable and addicting! I have become a big believer in using Twitter chats to grow professionally. I only wish I would have started sooner. I can’t wait to see all the information I will learn and gather through this outlet.

I liked how welcoming both mediators made me feel. They both personally welcomed me and liked my tweets. That made me want to continue to participate, knowing my tweets were being read and appreciated. Likewise, the feedback from fellow tweeters was encouraging. I quickly discovered the more I participated, the more I got out of it. I like how #TEDEdChat focused on the teacher’s relationship with his/her students during this chat session. The questions asked really made me think and reflect about what I do and why. It was interesting to see how that compared to other educators. Throughout the session, everyone’s opinion was respected and appreciated. I also received some great ideas on how to get to know my students as individuals.

I absolutely loved #6thchat! It was a great experience connecting with other 6th grade teachers. We focused on setting goals with our students and all that entails. I feel very inspired and rejuvenated after interacting with these teachers. I specifically liked getting the chance to interact with other educators who are in the same boat as I am. Our answers to the questions would spur other conversations in which we were able to connect over. Consequently, I followed several of them so I will have an invaluable resource when I have questions about anything. It’s nice to know that I have a support system of people who are willing to aid in my professional growth. I also liked how eager everyone was to share their thoughts and ideas. It was a very safe and pleasant environment. After a 60 minute chat, I already feel comfortable enough to reach out to these fellow educators! In fact, there's even been some interaction between myself and other tweeters I met since the chat. They really are there to support you! This is quite the opposite of what I thought would happen! There are so many benefits to reap from sharing. I’m so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone!

Heading into this experience blindly was a little nerve-racking at the beginning. I didn’t know what to think or expect. I really thought I wouldn’t have much to contribute and would just sit back, observe and just meet the “minimum” requirements of this assignment. Boy, was I wrong; I quickly found myself eager to participate! I thought the content discussed in both chats were appropriate and useful. Just connecting with other teachers and establishing a good comfort level in this new adventure was satisfying to me. Both topics were very relevant and easy to respond to. I felt like I had information to add for both #TEDEdChat and #6thchat. I was able to gain meaningful information and establish relevant conversations within both chats.

I found just starting/joining the chat the most stressful and challenging. I felt pressured (self inflicted) to not make any mistakes. I wanted to ensure that I said the right things, had the right hashtags, used the correct format when responding and sounded intelligent with no typos. There were so many directions to follow, and the live feed was quickly growing! I did find using TweetChat helpful in slowing the process down, but I still didn't want to get too far behind the discussion. Once I got the hang of it (about 5-10 minutes later), it was smooth sailing! I was able to relax and participate comfortably. The hour flew by both times! The second chat was much easier, and I look forward to the next one.

I think participating in more Twitter chats will improve this whole experience. To me, it comes down to comfort level. The more comfortable I am, the more willing I am to share and participate. I am very excited about this aspect of my PLN. I was just sharing today at a PD I was at with my co-teacher how valuable Twitter is as a resource for a plethora of information. In fact, she followed me and got inspired to use Twitter for more than just a social outlet. I also invited her to connect with a future #6thchat. I am so excited to see the impact Twitter will have on my teaching this year.