It’s so easy to feel like you are alone in your classroom. Other teachers are out there, and social media can make it seem like everyone has all of their ducks in a row in their perfectly decorated rainbow order classroom. I’m NOT hating on rainbow classrooms, or ducks! I promise. What I’m hating on is the game of comparing yourself to others. Use what others share to help you improve and grow, but remember, most of those posts are carefully curated, posed, and filtered to perfection.
So, where are my favorite places to go to be inspired? Who helps me learn and grow? I’m going to share my list of Spanish teachers on social media that have really encouraged me to explore and share.
First off, if you’re on Twitter and you’re not using TweetDeck, check it out! It makes carrying on a conversation, or floating and watching a hashtag so much easier.
#langchat
#authres
Specific Conference hashtags – follow along from afar!
Meredith White – Queen of #highlightreal instead of the highlight reel, she’s great at sharing what is happening in her room and in other classrooms in an amazingly down to earth manner.
#teachmorespanish – I follow a TON of amazing teachers on Instagram, but instead of listing them all, I’m just going to direct you here! Check out the Teach More Spanish tag and the @teachmorespanish Instagram for a whole bunch of teachers sharing what they do best!
@srta_spanish (haha…okay..shameless plug. Come find me on Insta!)
Spanish Teachers in the U.S. – This is a Facebook group of over 8,000 Spanish teachers and it is SO FULL of resources, ideas, and support. LOVE.
IFLT/ NTPRS/CI Teaching – This group is full of resources for CI methods and TPRS methods..and people in there could tell you about how that sentence is probably silly because they’re very related. I’ve learned a lot by being a fly on the wall there!
Another shameless plug, I’m also over on Facebook! You can come hang out with me there, too!
Blogs
Blogs are a great resource! They’re a different way of connecting. A blog offers a lot more in the way of communication than a Tweet or a caption on Instagram can. Several of the blogs I follow make me feel like I have a mentor teacher coming right to me. Some of the blogs make me feel like I have a long-distance teacher bestie sharing the same woes, challenges, and successes that I have felt. Here are some of my favorite blogs to follow:
Martinabex.com – Feeling like you need an idea? Go peruse her blog. You’ll walk away with so many ideas you won’t know which to try first!
Spanishmama.com – I have so much respect for Elizabeth. She puts herself out there in ways that would terrify me, but I’m so grateful she does.
Misclaseslocas.com – My go to spot for “how to novel”! Allison shares her learning process and what works well for her and her students as a department of one. She also is the brains behind Música Miércoles, and my students can’t get enough of that!
Spanish Class Diaries from Sarah Breckley – this is a twist, it’s not a blog, it’s a vlog! First of all, I think Sarah is super brave for vlogging and sharing her classroom this way. I also love being able to SEE things in action. The visual is super helpful!!
Who are your favorites to connect with and follow? How do you maintain a PLC online? Drop me a comment below and let me know what works for you!
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Irene says
I’m having difficulty setting this up. Can you help?
Ashley Mikkelsen says
What are you referring to?