TweetChat Numero Uno: The Effects

I am not an early adopter. I get curious about ideas, trends, tools, strategies, but I think, research, consider, reflect, and eventually get on board, or not, with whatever is in question. So it has been with the integration of digital tools into my personal and professional life. I opened a Twitter account in 2013 and didn't do anything with it, really, until the Fall of 2015. One day, I sat down and said ok, Twitter has something worthwhile to offer, I want to know what it's all about, and I'm going to sit down and play until I get it. I got it, at least to a certain degree, and have been active for the last year or so. Feeling out who I am in that space.

True to form, it's been the same with blogging. I opened an account, time passed. Years went by. A few failed attempts, never shared. More time passed. Finally, last September, I had something to say and out came three fairly well-formed posts on topics that I had, of course, been mulling over for sometime. Then start the clock again, tick tock.

In an attempt to deepen my understanding of the great benefits of Twitter and blogging, I took part in my first TweetChat this week. The topic: Blogging led by Bethany Hill @bethhill2829 and Connie Hamilton @conniehamilton. My goal was to give it a try, learn something, and connect a with a few more like minded folks. Intellectually, I knew that a wide world of individualized professional development existed out there in the Twitterverse and I was curious if it might hold anything for me. Like most, I hadn't really considered what I had to offer the "verse". The topic seemed safe, and interesting, as I wanted to jump start my blog again.

I had not anticipated that the effects of the chat would be so profound. I went into it with a beginner's mind. Open to the possibilities. Aside from finding my way through the chat, and the logistics of it all, there were three major impacts on my person that I can point to.

1. The community, connection, insight and support are real. I knew intellectually that Twitter held space for community and connection, but I didn't understand that on a visceral level until the chat. Sociologists like Zeynep Tufekci have argued, the dividing line between our offline lives and our online lives continues to dissolve, as online activities become intertwined with almost everything we do. There's just life and the interactions I experienced in the chat were just as authentic and real as any in-person conversation, maybe more so. I found the participants, myself included, to be open and willing to be vulnerable and of course it became evident by the comments that we all had more in common than not with our fears, shortcomings and insights about blogging.

2. I felt validated and appreciated. I had something to offer, just as all the participants did. I believe I really felt the power of social media for the first time in this chat. You can find your tribe, or tribes. If you are introverted, isolated, undervalued or can't quite find your niche in face to face situations, don't settle for that. There are online learning tribes and they are real. They will embrace you and you can do you. Kali Hawlk, a marketing manager in Georgia, landed her first client through online networking. "As someone who identifies as not only introverted, but also extremely shy, social media has been an invaluable tool to help me grow my network," Hawlk tells Fast Company. "Using Twitter... has allowed me to advance professionally much faster—and much farther—than I would have if I was limited to in-person, face-to-face networking events."

3. I felt hopeful for the future. We hear it all the time: Be the best version of yourself and the world will be a better place for it. “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”--Lucille Ball Again, intellectually, I get it and I believe it, but the times I had truly felt it, were few. The type of interaction this Tweetchat offered me were healthy and healing. It's holistic. I had this feeling of euphoria, like, ah, yes, all is right with the world. When people bring forth a piece of their truth and share it with each other, we are on the right track. We can have an impact one thought, share, and hashtag at a time.

As I continue to process the effects of my first Tweetchat, my second one starts in twenty-five minutes and I have two new topics for my blog! Well, one more now.

How Do You Know You Had a Good Teaching Day?

How do you know you had a good teaching day is something I've been thinking a lot about recently. I would put forth that what you value as a teacher are the things that lead you to perceive the day with your students as good or bad. So the question really becomes, "What do you value as a teacher?" (...and are those the most valuable things for our students?).

Over the years, I've heard teachers, probably myself included at some point, say things such as, "I had a great day! We got through everything. They were listening. They followed all the directions. What a great day!". I've heard other teachers share, "What a fun morning. The kids were really into what they were doing and they really got it.". What I've heard less is, "Wow, the students really got that math concept. They worked the problems and then explained what they had done to their partners. As I was listening in, I could tell who really understood the concept and who needed some reteaching.".

You get the idea. What would you identify as the underlying values in each of these examples? This is what comes up for me:

"I had a great day! We got through everything. They were listening. They followed all the directions. What a great day!"

Underlying Values: Control, control, control. It was a productive day (for the teacher) because the students did what they were told and were compliant. As long as everything went according to plan, it was a good day. Perfectionism = Success. Did the students learn? I can't tell.

"What a fun morning. The kids were really into what they were doing and they really got it."

Underlying Values: Fun, student engagement, understanding(maybe?). It was a good morning because it was a fun morning, the kids appeared to be on task. What makes me curious, what I don't hear in the statement, is how does the teacher know the kids were on task and were learning? Are these ideas really valued or is the appearance of them valued?

"Wow, the students really got that math concept. They worked the problems and then explained what they had done to their partners. As I was listening in, I could tell by what they were saying, who really understood the concept and who needed some reteaching."

Underlying Values: Student learning/understanding, formative assessment, students taking responsibility for their own learning, partner work.

In all three examples, we get a glimpse into each classroom. We get a snapshot of where the locus of control is and on what each teacher appears to value. As a teacher, reflecting on 'a good day' or 'a bad day' could give you some insight into what you are placing value on in the classroom whether you realize it or not. If you take a look and you're not sure you like what you see, and would like to make some changes, but aren't sure how to do that, one idea is to seek out a coach, or a peer, to come into your classroom to observe and give you feedback on something specific. Say you are trying a new strategy to check for student understanding, you could ask your colleague to watch and listen for when that strategy is used and then after the lesson share their observations about the impact of that strategy on the students.

To read more about coaching:
Anything by Elena Aguilar

To read more about student engagement:
Article from Edutopia

To read more about getting out of your own way:
Article from Psychology Today

The Importance of Understanding Introverts

I'm an introvert. Many who know me, may not have that perception of me. But it's true, I'm an introvert. I get my energy from solitude, reflection and from connecting in meaningful ways one on one or in a very small group of other humans, whom I know, respect, and who aren't afraid of being emotionally vulnerable. Can I do the extrovert thing? Sure. I have compensated most of my life, without knowing I was doing it, because of the way the world works. For the US, anyway, its roots are firmly in extroversion. Dale Carnegie gave rise to extroversion with his book How to Win Friends and Influence People. Over the decades, work culture and the perception of success have been fueled by the qualities of extroversion.

Allow me to generalize, extroverts have carried us to where we are today. In the western world where we speak without thinking, value self-promotion over what's best for the whole, take center stage without concern for the consequences, and value doing everything faster because it's perceived as superior, we have the extroverts to thank for this. Without the extroverts, we wouldn't be where we are today, which is on the precipice, slowly falling head first over the threshold into an era of introversion. You got us this far, extroverts, we'll take it from here, thanks. We still need you but you don't always have to be the boss.

From a leadership perspective, it's important to understand the value introverts bring to organizations, schools and groups. In her book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, author Susan Cain shares, “I worry that there are people who are put in positions of authority because they're good talkers, but they don't have good ideas. It's so easy to confuse schmoozing ability with talent. Someone seems like a good presenter, easy to get along with, and those traits are rewarded. Well, why is that? They're valuable traits, but we put too much of a premium on presenting and not enough on substance and critical thinking.” She continues, “Introverts, in contrast, may have strong social skills and enjoy parties and business meetings, but after a while wish they were home in their pajamas. They prefer to devote their social energies to close friends, colleagues, and family. They listen more than they talk, think before they speak, and often feel as if they express themselves better in writing than in conversation. They tend to dislike conflict. Many have a horror of small talk, but enjoy deep discussions.”

After I read Quiet I understood my inner world, as well as the outer world, with much more clarity. I had a true Ah ha moment where I found the language to describe what I had previously known and experienced. This changed my behavior. I stopped downplaying the leadership strengths I bring to the table. I now take action in the ways that feel true for me in order to have a positive impact on others or the given situation. Most working environments don't naturally understand or embrace introverted ways of being, but yet are in deep need of their healing, and change-making, powers.

So find your place. Don't shy away from who you are as an introvert. These are the qualities that you bring to the world and that the world needs, now more than ever. Embrace your introverted nature whole-heartedly and find ways to share your observations, deep reflections, and ideas for action in ways that are true to who you are. Your sphere of influence will be better for it.

Other book recs:
The Introverted Leader: Building on Your Quiet Strengths by Jennifer B. Kahnweiler, PhD
Quiet Leadership by David Rock

Read Quiet, if you haven't already, but here are some additional Susan Cain Quotes to fill the void.

Considering Busyness

For years now, I have made a concerted effort, especially at work, to avoid the answer "I'm so busy" to the question "How is it going?". If you are alive and interact with others whom are alive, you know this is a common exchange. I surmise that most times, the answer, never mind the question, spills out before the speaker has even had time to think about it.

As Henry David Thoreau observed and asked, "It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?". From my perspective, the days are waning on what Brene Brown calls "wearing exhaustion as a status symbol". In decades past, being busy has equaled success. The harder you worked, the more often you worked, the more willing you were to sacrifice other aspects of your life for work, the more success you perceived to have had.

I think we're at a tipping point with this notion. At least, I am at a tipping point with this notion for myself. I refuse to feel guilty about prioritizing not feeling overwhelmed, overworked, out of balance, exhausted. This does not mean that the quantity or quality of my work suffers. In fact, it is the opposite. I have done, and continue to do, a lot of self-examination and self-evolution. For me, this has been the key. Modifying, changing or letting go of the qualities, beliefs, or actions that are getting in the way of me being my best self creates space for me to interact with the world differently and more authentically.

When I'm asked "How is it going?", more often than not, I respond, "Great, can't complain.". No one on the receiving end really cares about the answer. But I care. I am choosing to answer in a way that is positive, true to what I believe, expresses gratitude and puts in perspective all the things on my to-do list.

Some observations of the extremely 'busy' in the workplace over the years:
They always have time to tell you how busy they are.
They often aren't aware of how they are getting in their own way.
They regularly blame others for how busy/overwhelmed they are.
They don't have much to say after they say they are busy.
They perceive themselves as busy but in reality that doesn't necessarily equal productive.
Their lives are sometimes in disarray.

Well-being Tips:
Be aware of the language you use.
Change it if it is not authentic to you.
Consider how you might be getting in your own way with your language and actions.

Like Thoreau encourages... What are you busy about?