So the week 2 #MTBoS task is to talk about twitter. I’ve really enjoyed using twitter as a maths teacher. It has saved my bacon on a couple of occasions when I’m stuck on a question at 10pm, exhausted and my maths brain is simply no longer functioning but I need to understand to teach it at 9am the next day. I take a picture of the question, tweet it and within minutes lovely maths people will reply and help.
I love the feeling of a virtual staffroom but one where I don’t have to talk to people I don’t want to. I lost my closest maths teacher friend to cancer last year and twitter is a way to fill that gap without the emotional risk.
Has twitter improved my teaching? Well in some ways. I’ve got some lovely activities off twitter. I have had several embarrassing moments in the classroom where these activities have fallen flat. Being able to share these failures is cathartic. Overall I think twitter is the most powerful tool for teachers available at the moment.
Maths and Books 
That’s encouraging to hear, and it’s why we at the NCETM do a Twitter-based #mathscpdchat every Tuesday at 7p,m, an post the entire conversation, with links, on our site the next day.
I enjoy reading them back. 7pm is 15 minutes into my toddler’s bedtime so I normally catch the end.
I could not agree more about posting failures being cathartic. Even if I think a lesson completely bombed, someone in #MTBoS is able to help me see something that I did right as well as a way to improve on it.
Twitter also encouraged me to write my 180 blog, which has taken on a life of its own, but still allows me to reflect on my lessons in a meaningful way.
It’s so great to have you with us! Keep up the good work!
Thank you.