Teaching, Tweeting, and the Unexpected Power of Likes

Last year, if you told me a retweet could help me become a better teacher, I would have laughed. Today, I’d nod and say, “Absolutely.”

In one of the professional learning communities I’m part of, we began using Twitter and Facebook—not just for sharing ideas, but for actually building a support system. At first, I felt awkward putting my lesson ideas or classroom photos online. But then something shifted. A colleague commented, “Loved this approach!” Another shared a similar idea they had tried. Slowly, my confidence grew.

What surprised me most wasn’t the feedback itself—it was how I felt. Teaching can be lonely. We often work in silos, questioning if what we’re doing even matters. But suddenly, social media made my invisible labor visible. And that mattered.

We created a shared account where our small community could post, cheer each other on, and grow. No one made us do it. It just... happened. It became a space for reflective practice, collaborative problem-solving, and the occasional celebration of small wins.

It’s not perfect. Not everyone joins. Some still prefer face-to-face chats. But for me, these digital spaces feel like staff rooms without walls. And in a world where support is sometimes scarce, a like or a retweet can mean more than we realize.