Thanks for listening! If you didn’t listen to episode one launching your Facebook Group you might want to go back and check it out as I talk about why I started Authentic Teacher in the first case when I ran into a parent from an earlier class and she said “I miss you, I miss your Facebook Group, I miss your weekend math challenges!”
I also talk about how I didn’t get Facebook until I was working at Apple and I would watch all the kids (yes, I call them kids even though most of them were in grad school) in the lunchroom/training room on Facebook and be like what are they doing? I just don’t get it until I joined a secret private Facebook group and it was like oh, now I get it and I’ve loved Facebook ever since.
I love Facebook Groups
I’m in hundreds of Facebook Groups I think like close to 200+ Gardening groups, podcasting groups, teaching groups, hiking groups. I mean I got to hike over Siyeh pass for my 49th birthday in Glacier Park thanks to a Facebook Group I never would have done that otherwise!
I started the Facebook Fridays on the Authentic Teacher Podcast because of one of my parents. So I did find my rules I posted when I started my group:
My description I used when I launched my Parent Facebook Group:
Welcome to our Classroom Facebook Group. This group is open to parents/guardians and teachers of students in our classroom. I will post what we are doing in school, homework and important dates and activities.
I will only post pictures of students who’s parents have signed a permission slip. Otherwise we will stick to pictures of artwork and the room or activity etc.
Please make sure to share helpful resources and positive messages :~)
And that’s it. Nobody ever said a mean word to someone else in the classroom. No one ever complained, I did have one parent who unjoined and ended up back in there by the end of the year, but I will tell that story down the line it had to do with spelling words.
The Power Is In the Comment
By that, I mean, I feel like we could really combat bullying. This is another reason I am so passionate about Authentic Teacher, and the whole Technology Facebook thing. If our kids are using social media correctly that alone should combat bullying because there wouldn’t be time, there wouldn’t be a reason for it, because you would be connecting with other kids your age that liked you and were like you. It would be a way to reach out.
Facebook has really changed my life, especially the podcasting ones but also the podcasting ones of other podcasters I belong to but also very much my organic gardener podcast group made up of my listeners. Podcasting has changed my life the most. It’s the connections we make and we meet on Facebook! I meet my listeners there, the other guests there, the other podcast hosts, so I am just a huge fan of Facebook groups.
I believe the paid ones are the best and up the caliber of participant and engagement.
So the Power is in the Comment
You always want to be making positive comments that have a little detail. It’s great to post basic things like “You go bro, or you go girl!” all the time, yes, do I comment nice! or smiley face plenty too! Even liking things people appreciate that, but if you can go one step further and add one significant detail and put an entire sentence in somebody’s post the power of that comment will go so much further.
I feel like we need to teach our students these skills. THE POWER OF A COMMENT!
I always like to start the day with a little journal prompt, it was during breakfast, it wasn’t a mandatory thing or a big thing, but it enabled me to gage how they felt that day. Were they tired, were they hungry were they excited for football practice (heads up someone’s gonna be distracted!) So what they did, I would put the journal prompt on the board, they only had to write one sentence, if they wanted to write more, if they wanted to draw a picture that was great but we only had like five minutes to do it.
I would have them put #s. I would put the hashtag on the board so if we were writing about our favorite color we would write #blue, or #rainbow or what sport would you play? #football #doubledutchjumprope or a good one was when we were working on presidents I put what club would you want to be president of? #chess or #4h or #horses or #football club.
I would always add #howdoyoufeeltoday? I always wanted to know were they hungry? tired? EXCITED!? and it gave them a private place to tell me.
Idk how we got sidetracked on hashtags.
The Power is in the Comment
Can you make your parents feel extra special? Maybe they brought cupcakes, or SNACK?! a healthy snack or maybe they helped you prep a special activity for the kids, or accompanied you on a field trip? (trust me the kids will come in and say, My mom liked your post, my dad showed me your picture)
Any of the numerous things a parent can do, or maybe they are a specialist in your building? Maybe the health teacher went out of her way to watch them for five minutes for you or maybe he taught them a new dance step they loved!
If you can say one extra nice thing, or complement you are modeling for your students, promoting positive messages in your building for your team. Remember the Power is in the Comment!
I hope you enjoyed Facebook Fridays and I am going to go through 52 Facebook Tips for Teachers and hopefully that will become some kind of ebook or course for you. Each week there will be a checklist or cheat sheet for you to download and help you have the best year ever!
I hope you liked todays episode and let me know if I can do anything else to improve your year!
One thing I will add here in the blog is that when I listened to this yesterday I thought about how important it is to be proactive in the classroom and having a group page that allows you to connect with parents is a great way to have positive interactions with your parents ahead of time.
Get your The Power is in The Comment
Facebook Friday Cheat Sheet 02
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