How to Build your Personal Learning Network [PLN]

I hope you know that you are not alone and that you are not stuck in the four walls of your classroom or school building. There is a great big world out there ready and willing to collaborate with you and encourage you to become your best self.

You might be wondering just how to access like-minded educators who LOVE education and are innovative in the classroom. They might not be in your same school, district or state, but they are there- over the internet waves! That means they are only a CLICK away 🙂

I absolutely love connecting with new teachers on Twitter through the #ntchat on Wednesday nights. [Need some Twitter-101? Click here or here for helpful information.] The recent topic was “Building your PLN.” I realized so many people have no idea how to build their professional learning network (PLN). So, here we are in a blog post sharing some information that others could find helpful!

What is a Professional Learning Network?

A professional learning network (PLN) is a community of like-minded professionals who come together to collaborate over a common cause, whether it be in-person or virtually.

Why do I want to become part of a PLN?

A PLN is an empowering group of people. They encourage you to push through on hard days. They inspire you to take risks and try new things in the classroom. They stretch your thinking when you discuss education in other parts of the country.

My PLN has become like a family to me. We talk about education A LOT, but we also talk about life. Being connected to positive, top notch educators has lit a fire under me to make sure I keep everything in perspective, that I avoid feeling burnt out or negative, and that I continue setting goals and trying new things.

This powerful group of people has become my own professional development. I have learned so much from them and I never had a better time learning than I do from conversing with my new found edu-buddies.

How do I become part of a PLN?

Its super easy. First, get yourself connected in-person and virtually.

1. In-Person

Look for conferences that are hosted nearby your home or school. If it requires payment to participate, see if your administrative staff will pay for it since it is going towards your own professional development. When at a conference, make sure to listen and gain as much as you can from the sessions, but put even more intent and attention into building relationships with those attending the conference. Be careful to not stick close to the first person you meet, especially if you go to a conference with a friend you already know. You want to branch out, ask questions about other people to get to know them, find common ground, and exchange contact information. When you continue to meet educators outside of your own school, you are building your PLN. Not everyone inside your PLN has to know one another. Its not some secret club. Its just branches of contacts that you have- a rolodex of sorts.

2. Virtually

Set yourself up on social media. That means, find a picture of yourself that is clear and appropriate. You want to be recognized by the many edu-buddies you have already met in-person. Get your profile set up so its clear you are an educator and want to connect with other educators. If you have other interests that might draw in other educators, include those as well (ie. running, favorite movie quotes, etc.). Start sharing quality content on your social media pages. This will gain attention from other educators and they will start to follow. Please do not ask someone to follow you. You don’t want to bully someone to be your “friend.” Simply continue to have conversations, back and forth, with other educators and let them decide when they want to follow you. At the end of the day, its about exposing yourself to amazing people that will be there when you need them for knowledge, encouragement or inspiration. Overtime, you’ll notice your PLN on social media is HUGE and that means you are doing a great job building relationships with like-minded professionals to better your own instructional practice as an educator.

I mentioned this above, but getting involved on Twitter or Voxer is highly encouraged and helps build your PLN quickly. [Here are some Twitter hashtags you can follow to get you started.] In fact, you know you can always follow me on social media. I would be honored to be the first member of your PLN 🙂

How do I help others join a PLN?

Do exactly what I just did for you. Pay it forward. Share what you have learned about building your own PLN and help them begin to build their own. Be a voice for teachers chasing their own professional development that is personalized to their own needs and interests and keeps great teachers in classrooms teaching. We cannot lose any more teachers because they felt they had no one to turn to and they felt stagnant with nothing new to learn or try in their classroom. There is a big world out there to discover and we don’t have to do it alone.

 

Share the image at the top of this blog post with the hashtag #buildyourPLN and start connecting today.