One of the cool things about Twitter is that sometimes a series of Tweets can lead to a thought … or inspiration. I participated in the #EdTechChat on Monday night and somehow ended up in a side conversation about the need or lack of need for knowing how to type with a small group of people that included Rabbi Michael Cohen (@TheTechRabbi ) . The initial conversation was quite fun and enlightening, but it kept popping back into my notifications well after the chat was over … days later. Until this Tweet by The Tech Rabbi popped up and it made me think …
I am like, what have we, as educators, become where we are in a perpetual state of throwing shade at each other. Trying to find fault with word usage to the point where it seems many are more intent on finding fault with each other rather than engage in conversation. I know I have been called out on numerous occasions for using the term “teach” instead of “guide” because teaching is word to describe direct instruction and we should be guides on the side. Seriously? We are teachers … we are supposed to be modeling proper debate and we are getting caught up in semantics … thinking the worst of each other. We are a freakin’ mirror of the political debate happening in the United States. Only we are educators and we should know better.
We are throwing shade at teachers because they have their desks in rows or they speak in front of the class. We should be thinking from a mindset of whatever works for you and your kids. We do not know what is happening in every classroom across the country or the real reason why kids are kept in rows.
We are even to the point where we block educators because all they do is send out inspirational eduction quotes. We question their motives … yes I am guilty of that. I wonder if they are on automated tweet or if they are actually there to participate in a conversation.
We all get annoyed with the EduSpammers who have their blog post or auto-tweet set to land in every chat available to the detriment of the conversation that is trying happen at that time.
It is time we take a step back … all of us … and remember why we signed up on Twitter. We came for a conversation. The conversation came before the book deals and blogging which somehow has changed many into EduMarketers … blowing up Twitter with book quotes and and blog links, but what about the conversation outside of the hashtag chat time. Please, don’t think that I hold resentment toward those with published books because they are some awesome educators out there doing their thing … wait please do not read into that meaning that I do not think all educators are awesome because I think all educators are awesome … well that may not be true because I am sure there are some people acting as teachers who should not be teachers.
I am not perfect … far from it. I get snarky and sarcastic and spout off things, but I will try to be a bit more civil with my peers on Twitter. We should take time and reflect upon what the intent of the Tweet could be rather than instantly think that because someone says “good teachers do ____” that we automatically want to think they are saying that if you don’t do ____ then you are a bad teacher. We talk about being a positive support for each other, but do our actions back up our words?
Which is why I posted this tweet … My Twitter Pledge:
Who is with me?
MSTRDILL 
There does seem to be shift in eduTwitter. Some have moved from sharing as an educator to sharing as a brand. There has been a lot of success for several who have created brands and of course jealousy is an issue. There is also educators on Twitter who have been there for a long time, like you and I, who have seen people change. Their body of work has changed. Their purpose has changed. This is not atypical, I think we all have to some degree.
The problem, in my opinion, is that when you create a brand you feel the need to amplify and defend it. Amplifying comes in the form of creating content to garner followers, tweeting things of dubious value, and constantly talking about what the brand offers. They also tend to defend their brand by seeing anyone who questions it as an attacker, or the term we all like to use, a troll. Calling someone a troll immediately mobilizes the hard-earned followers who rush to the aid of the ‘attacked’.
I appreciate your pledge and I agree with it wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, I do not think that it addresses the real problem which I believe to be is the inability of some to separate our brand from our personhood. The questioning of ideas should always be allowed, it should always be encouraged.
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I like how you differentiate between the brand version of us versus the person … what are trying to market and being tied to that singular version. Thanks for adding this to the conversation.
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I love your perspective! Great post. I take the pledge alongside you!
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Thanks Todd … not sure why there has to be a divisive nature … this is education not politics and we are not of a political party … we are educators and can be right without someone else having to be wrong.
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