Getting Clearer: Educator Movements

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Welcome to the first #GettingClearer blog! Throughout this series, we’ll go deep into topics in a way that allows for shared meaning-making, access to multiple approaches, and opportunities to build capacity through network connections and resources. We will publish #GettingClearer blogs twice a month and look forward to multiple blogs on complex subjects to deepen the well of understanding and resources.

Educator Movements

Educators are connecting their efforts across the nation. It is an exciting time for educator movements that are engaging in relationship building, advocacy and utilizing each other to improve and design the future of learning. Current educator movements are driven by communities of people uniting for a cause, sharing ideas and resources, and sharing their stories. With the help of social media, events and web forums, educators are building relationships with each other and their work in ways that matter. We call these educator movements.

In 2018 we ran a series and published a book, Better Together because education work is hard, you need to find your tribe, and do the work together. Being part of the movement of innovation, especially innovation for liberation, can be isolating. In this #GettingClearer post, we wanted to continue to amplify the need for networks and share examples of how educators are building community and moving education work forward.

Below are a few influential movement organizations that are empowering educators across the country:

Educators for Excellence (@Ed4Excellence) is building a movement of teacher leader advocates to improve outcomes for students. They have chapters across the country, teacher leadership training and advocacy campaigns.

#ShareYourLearning (@ShareYourLearn) is building a movement of five million students publicly sharing their learning and creating an adult learning community centered on student learning. Educators joining #shareyourlearning are establishing practices and amplifying learning that showcases student growth and development.

#HipHopEd (@TheRealHipHopEd) is a movement remixing education by bringing together educators “who challenge traditional education systems to value the power of youth culture and voice.”  This movement began with a Twitter chat #HipHopEd on Tuesdays from 9-10 pm EST and has expanded to a blog, resource library, and two expansion threads: HipHopEd STEM and HipHopEd Therapy.

#ClearTheAir (@ClearTheAirEdu) is a newer educator Twitter chat movement that has grown exponentially in a short amount of time. Centering on beliefs and activism, #ClearTheAir participants are engaging in important growth and discourse. This community is an inviting movement, reflecting on their learning and seeking ways to create a needed impact in education.

#EduColor (@EduColorMVMT) is a collective “dedicated to the constant, beautiful struggle for liberation, including an equitable, just education for everyone.” Facilitating intersectional discussions of race and education, EduColor is a movement model connecting people with a newsletter and by hosting a monthly Twitter chat every last Thursday, 7:30-8:30 pm EST

Teachers for Social Justice (@T4SJ) has a mission “to provide opportunities for self-transformation, leadership, and community building to educators in order to affect meaningful change in the classroom, school, community and society.” This robust community has a website full of resources and community access. Subscribe to the newsletter to keep up to date on events, resources, jobs and activism with this t4sj movement community.

Teacher-Powered Schools (@teacherpowered) are paving the way to expand more opportunities for teacher autonomy and decision making. They are mobilizing teachers and communities to support and create teacher-powered schools because, “in teacher-powered schools, teachers have greater ability to make the dramatic changes that they determine are needed to truly improve student learning and the teaching profession.”

As #Educolor says; this is our moment. The movement is now. Find your community and join the work in progressing education work towards an improved future.

We are #GettingClearer. Do you have any educator movements you recommend teachers know more about? Want to share your experience in an education movement? Comment below or tweet us @Getting_Smart and use our hashtag #GettingClearer.

Other Twitter communities to check out:

#leadupchat

#edchat

#deeperlearning

#PBLChat

#BMEsTalk

#TeacherEdChat

This blog is part of an ongoing Getting Smart series called Getting Clearer. The nature of this series and of our blog is to have a diverse set of voices and ideas to help us and our audience get clearer. Are there topics that you’re interested in #GettingClearer about?  Email [email protected] with “Getting Clearer” in the subject line.  

For other blogs in the series, see:

For more, see:


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Kelly Niccolls

Kelly Niccolls

Kelly has been an educator for fourteen years. She began her career teaching in Southern California and has helped schools and systems reimagine teaching and learning, as well as serving as a school administrator. She is a Deeper Learning Equity Fellow, driven by the relentless belief in the possibility of social justice within education systems. Kelly focuses her education leadership on re-imagining structures for teaching and learning in order to empower all students for the future. Kelly is also a member of the Getting Smart Advisory Board.

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