Tuesday, April 4, 2017

#LoveMySchoolDay 2018: Year 5 of the Real 411 about Education

It is hard to believe that #LoveMySchoolDay is at its 5th year.  Every year that we have flood the Twittersphere has always been a complete inspiration to see the wonderful things happening in schools across the globe. As I think about this wonderful celebration, a thought comes to mind. 

This Story Can Never End. 

There is always someone calling for a complete change to education today. After all, the ills of our society have to be the fault of the someone, right? And it's a quick and easy fix to blame those who are actually working hard to prevent failure. Here's the thing.  What most people don't understand or even see is that schools are doing  great and amazing things for all kids. 

Here's What People Don't See
  • They won't see the work you do to close the learning gaps created by generational poverty. 
  • They won't see the collaboration your teachers do to learn how to better serve all kids. 
  • They won't see the beauty of makerspaces, fine arts, enrichment activities, or technology integration that advances and inspires a passion for learning. 
  • They won't hear the excitement kids have when a science experiment matches their initial hypothesis or the discovery of something new. 
  • They won't see the hard work of counselors and teachers who teach kids the lessons of conflict resolution. 
  • They won't see the fun you are having.

Do you see where I'm heading?

So Why Even Have #LoveMySchoolDay?
Reason #1 - Educators must give the world the 411 (thus April 11th every year) about the great things happening in schools across the country.  In this fast paced world, not everyone can come to the open house or parent event. Schools must realize that their social media accounts are their proverbial open house that is open 24/7/365.  #LoveMySchoolDay is a world-wide open house for the entire world to attend.

Reason #2  - Legislators are making policies and passing laws based on what they hear.   Many times legislators know little to nothing about the impact of their laws on education because they are only getting their information from lobbyists who many times are not concerned with yours or the kids' best interest.  If they aren't hearing from schools and the people inside them, chances are that future policies and laws will not be made in the best interest of your school. 

Reason 3 & THE COLD HARD TRUTH - If you want schools to get better, it starts with YOU telling YOUR story of the great things inside your school.  People must see and hear the growth that is occurring and listen to the people you work with who are making your school a success.   YOU must be your school's storyteller in chief.  If not, someone else will be.


4 Tips to Tell your #LoveMySchoolDay Story 
  1. Use the #LoveMySchoolDay hashtag in all of your posts. 
  2. Tag your legislators, school leaders, colleagues, and other influential people to your posts or images. 
  3. Use pictures and video as this increases your post engagement and interactions. 
  4. Share or Retweet great stories that you see on the hashtag. This keeps the story going. 

If you need ideas, here are some ideas:

Don't miss your chance to tell your story.  It's being written by the best authors in the world, you!!!

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