I am excited to welcome Thomas Broderick, a Northern Californian freelance writer and consultant in the education field who occasionally blogs for Teach.com to talk about creating a professional learning network using twitter. This is even more meaningful to me as I have been blowing up my twitter account with the amazing things I have learned at #ASCA17.
Using Twitter to Follow the Best School Counselors
There are many ways to become an amazing school counselor. Some people spend a few years in the classroom before making the transition, while others jump right in after college or grad school. No matter how you arrive in the field, you should follow the sage advice of the nation’s best school counselors. But how do you find them?
At first glance, the social network Twitter may seem a world away from counseling. In fact, the opposite is the case. America’s best counselors regularly use Twitter to reach out to others in their profession. For aspiring school counselors, there is no better way to get insider information about counseling best practices than straight from the horse’s mouth.
In this article we’ll explore some of Twitter’s most influential counselors, and how you can use Twitter to expand your personal learning network (PLN). That said, let’s get started!
At first glance, the social network Twitter may seem a world away from counseling. In fact, the opposite is the case. America’s best counselors regularly use Twitter to reach out to others in their profession. For aspiring school counselors, there is no better way to get insider information about counseling best practices than straight from the horse’s mouth.
In this article we’ll explore some of Twitter’s most influential counselors, and how you can use Twitter to expand your personal learning network (PLN). That said, let’s get started!
Using Twitter
If you’ve never used Twitter, set up a professional profile that includes where you work and a link to your school’s website. If you already have a personal Twitter account, go ahead and set up a second professional account. It’s free!
NOTE: Make sure your professional account is open to anyone, and your personal account is only open to accepted followers. This is good advice for anyone working in a school.
When setting up a professional account, go ahead and follow every teacher/administrator at your school who uses Twitter. If they follow you back (and they should), they will be able to see the counseling best practices you retweet from the nation’s best school counselors. You can also use your professional account to share the amazing work you do in your building.
It’s now time to FOLLOW INFLUENCIAL COUNSELORS!
It’s now time to FOLLOW INFLUENCIAL COUNSELORS!
Three Great Counselors to Follow Right Away
Terri Tchorzynski
Twitter Handle: @ttchorzynski
In January 2017, First Lady Michelle Obama awarded Terri the school counselor of the year award. Her Twitter feed is full of solid advice for counselors both new and seasoned. Her retweets come from a variety of professional counseling organizations you may want to follow, as well.
Chris Belser
Twitter Handle: @CBelser_PSC
A nationally board-certified school counselor, Chris has spent the last six years researching counseling best practices. His Twitter feed is full of links to research studies and articles that can help counselors connect to students of all ages.
Matthew J. Beck
Twitter Handle: @mattjbeck
Matthew is an excellent resource for school counselors who work with LGBT students. His Twitter feed and website are full of personal examples from which all education professionals can gain valuable wisdom.
Twitter Handle: @ttchorzynski
In January 2017, First Lady Michelle Obama awarded Terri the school counselor of the year award. Her Twitter feed is full of solid advice for counselors both new and seasoned. Her retweets come from a variety of professional counseling organizations you may want to follow, as well.
Chris Belser
Twitter Handle: @CBelser_PSC
A nationally board-certified school counselor, Chris has spent the last six years researching counseling best practices. His Twitter feed is full of links to research studies and articles that can help counselors connect to students of all ages.
Matthew J. Beck
Twitter Handle: @mattjbeck
Matthew is an excellent resource for school counselors who work with LGBT students. His Twitter feed and website are full of personal examples from which all education professionals can gain valuable wisdom.
Using These (and Other) Resource
After you follow a few counselors, you are likely to discover a treasure trove of informational Twitter profiles to follow, as well. But your PLN is only just beginning. As you retweet only the best material, consider reaching out to the counselors you follow. Ask them questions. Bounce ideas off their heads. You’d be surprised about how many people on Twitter actually answer the questions their followers ask them.
Establishing these relationships can greatly benefit the work you do with students and teachers. Twitter is a valuable tool for school counselors. It connects the nation’s counselors together, allowing the best to teach the rest. Using Twitter in this way, passionate counselors new on the job can achieve long-term professional success.
Establishing these relationships can greatly benefit the work you do with students and teachers. Twitter is a valuable tool for school counselors. It connects the nation’s counselors together, allowing the best to teach the rest. Using Twitter in this way, passionate counselors new on the job can achieve long-term professional success.
Final Thoughts
Thanks Thomas and Teach.com for sharing some great ideas about using Twitter! Make sure you use #scchat in your posts so that you can connect with other amazing school counselors. Not sure what a hashtag is? I gotcha. Here are a few of my favorite peeps that I work alongside with on Confident Counselors all in one beautiful twitter list for you.
Ahem, also, make sure you follow me :)
Ahem, also, make sure you follow me :)
