When I first created a Twitter account a few years ago, the main purpose of it for me was to get the latest news and updates for fantasy sports and player injuries. Fast forward to today, and while I no longer play fantasy sports I do feel that I am now a valued member of an amazing math community. My twitter account has provided me with the ability to share resources and ideas with other math educators around the world as well as grow my PLN (Personal Learning Network).

As I started to use twitter more and started following math teachers that were sharing resources and ideas, I noticed the hashtag #mtbos. I was confused!  After some digging and searching, I eventually found out that #mtbos stood for Math Teacher Blog O Sphere. This was the hashtag many people were using to share ideas, blog posts, and resources about teaching mathematics. To be honest, it didn’t seem like the most logical hashtag to use. Luckily there was some chatter among the math community, and we seemed to have now transitioned to #iteachmath. A much more logical and useful hashtag in my opinion.

You can follow the #iteachmath hashtag to be part of the conversation and share resources using it on several social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. I teach in a relatively small school and as the only Algebra 1 teacher in my school, it has been helpful to share ideas and resources with other teachers. I frequently ask questions and request lesson ideas on Twitter, and I am always astounded at both the number of responses I receive and the quality of those responses. The #iteachmath community has become my favorite source of professional development and has helped me grow as an educator. In addition, it is also rewarding to be able to help others. I frequently share resources, respond to questions, and support other math teachers. A part of any good community is both the give and take.

If you are a math teacher and have a social media account, check out the #iteachmath community on that platform. If you don’t have a social media account, I would highly recommend starting a Twitter account and search the hashtag #iteachmath for resources, ideas, and to take part in the community atmosphere. Especially during this difficult time in education, a sense of community can be reassuring, and the resources could actually save you some time and energy.

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Nick Corley

Nick Corley

Math Teacher

Note: Fresh Ideas for Teaching blog contributors have been compensated for sharing personal teaching experiences on our blog. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company.