Connected!

Today during #EdTalksGlobalGathering I was asked for one word to currently describe myself and said CONNECTED.

Let me give you a little more information – there I was, ‘Toria the Teacher’, in the #EdTalks staffroom with people from all around the world. We were discussing the importance of ‘Wellbeing’ and whilst I had a little voice chirruping “you don’t deserve to be here” in my head, I took my place alongside everyone else and had my voice heard. Just in case you missed it – find it here:

Having my voice heard is scary and connecting can be even scarier!

This morning I co-hosted #MorningBrewEd with Chris Harrison and the topic was ‘Building Book Bridges’. We were interviewing three authors – Rashmi Sirdeshpande, Richard O’Neill and Vashti Hardy and I was terrified. How could I, Toria the Teacher, interview authors – they live on a different plain after all! I discovered however, that when I stopped worrying the conversation flowed and I also discovered that authors are real people just like you and I.

They are real people who need us to support them more than ever during this international pandemic.

During normal times, many authors supplement their income through school visits and this isn’t something they can do currently. It is all too easy to think ‘Oh well, we will get them back when this is all over’, but how does this help them? As we discussed this morning, there are so many alternative ways to link with authors and build those bridges – virtual author visits, diverse book weeks, pre-recorded author questions, authors being linked to a school. Richard, Vashti and Rashmi want to support educators as so many other authors do. So go online and find your favourite authors, connect with them and find out how you can support them and they can support you!

For all the great ideas we discussed, watch #MorningBrewEd Building Book Bridges

This padlet is linked to the episode – feel free to add anything that you think is relevant to this important discussion.

I have also connected with some of my great Twitter friends through DM, WhatsApp and phonecalls today. I have met so many people through #TinyVoiceTuesdayUnites and so many of these people have become great friends.

Have you found #TinyVoiceTuesdayUnites yet?

It is a wonderful online community that meets every Tuesday. They meet through my pinned tweet (pinned at 5am GMT) and they connect. They chat, support and become friends with each other – at least that is what I have observed since it started at the end of March 2020.

Connecting is so good for our mental wellbeing – it helps us to feel part of and not apart from. Now, more than ever, we need each other! So come along on Tuesday and connect with all of us – just find my pinned tweet. It will look something like this!

I really hope that I have connected with you but, if I haven’t then find me on Twitter @toriaclaire and connect. Remember: