Falling in Love with Twitter!

So quite frankly . . . I tried Twitter a year or two ago and I just couldn't get into it. So it just sat there. Sure I got on every month or so just to be tempted to McDonald's after reading viewing their delicious photo tweets. But that was pretty much it - I followed McD's and my soap opera and just couldn't figure out the appeal. 

And then I came to Perry. 

So many educators from my new school where on. And not just on - but sharing the fabulous resources and stories and information that they were getting from it. So I logged on - again - it was just the same old tweets of McNuggets and Sharon Newman's newest love interest. WHAT WAS I MISSING!?!?!

Then with the guidance of two fellow teachers - I learned the trick - follow EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING that your admire, respect, or are generally interested in. Since then I've added gurus like Stephanie Harvey, Debbie Miller, and Regie Routman.  I'm following new colleagues and tracked down some old ones. I have direct line to authors like Seymour Simon, Tanny McGregor, and Mo Willems! I stay current through tweets from EdWeek, NEA, and TEDtalks. In three words - I AM OBSESSED! 

Then I had my first retweet! Someone thought something I said or posted was important enough to retweet! Since then I haven't stopped . . . I'm tweeting, retweeting, favoriting, logging in, logging out, checking timelines, refresh - refresh - refresh! I can't get enough. In the short time I've been on Twitter I have learned SO much from so many different people. 

Tomorrow if my first real Twitter Chat and I can hardly wait. I think it's something like 30+ educators from my new district along with other "twitters" from around the country; all of us coming together over the book Falling in Love with Close Reading By: Christopher Lehman and Kate Roberts.  

Can it get better than this: Loving what you do, having a great new read, and a whole group of educators who share that passion to talk about it with you?  I don't think so.  If you want to join us, the first chat is tomorrow #litcab1.