Finding Your Voice on Twitter
It can be daunting knowing where and how to start on Twitter. I was terrified that I would say or do the wrong thing when I first started and that I would be jumped on but trust me when I say there are easy ways to navigate through it.
Make sure that you have got a profile picture (go for a bitmoji if that makes you more comfortable) and an educational bio (that way people know you are in education). Some people won't follow you if you don't have a clear bio so it is worthwhile doing it. Here is mine...
When I first wanted to find my voice on Twitter, I discovered #Teacher5oclockclub initially, which is on every morning and a great way to say hi to the #edutwitter community. Paul Garvey started it and continues to say hi to most people most days. The best way to find it is go to search and put in the hashtag - then see who is there. I found that just connecting in this way enabled me to start building my personal learning network.
I then discovered #FFBWednesday which James Grocott runs (just find his pinned tweet). It is a follow follow back thread and a great way to quickly grow your community. There is also #PrimaryRocks every Monday evening and so many more hashtags - just find Hazel Pinner, she has created posters for the various hashtags out there and can sign-post you to wherever you wish to go!
Now it would be remiss of me not to mention my hashtag #TinyVoiceTalks. I created it just over a year ago as a way for the tinier voices (including mine) to be heard. It runs all day Tuesday and is for voices of all shapes and sizes. Some people think that only those with small followings can take place but that is not the case at all. The size of someone's voice is not determined by the number of followers they have so please don't think you can't attend if you have a larger following. #TinyVoiceTalks is all about connecting and getting to know others. So if you like connecting and learning from others then come along.
My top tips for getting the most out of #TinyVoiceTalks are these -
Write a bio that tells others a little about you (funny as well as edu).
Add a picture, quote, or gif - a great way to get other people to engage.
It is on all day from midnight to midnight but is busiest from 6am - 9am so if you want instant interactions that is the best time to join.
Go through the thread and comment on other people's bios, gifs, pictures and quotes (if you have time). Everyone is on there because they want to connect and I love watching the conversations flow when it is at its busiest!
Don't just follow people but connect - that way you become known to them and not just a number. You are so much more than a number.
It is my pinned tweet all day on a Tuesday - it looks like this -
If you follow the instructions, you can't go too far wrong! I really hope that I see you on #TinyVoiceTalks 📣 soon and remember that I and others are here to help you navigate your way around Twitter so just ask if you are lost!