Seeing as I will be starting my career as a TTOC, the discussion question for talking about Open Education Resources struck me, as far as imaging what teachers would have done pre-technology when walking into a class they are subbing in or without access to open education resources that they can pull to build a day of instruction. It makes me realize what an invaluable resource this is as I cannot imagine walking into a classroom without the instantaneous support and answer that a resource like this provides a teacher who is thinking very on the spot at the start of the day. Technology is so valuable in thinking quickly, and while we have heard a lot about building a ‘sub kit’ over the past year, there is nothing like having thousands of resources at your fingertips in seconds. It makes me realize just how monumental technology has been in the education field for teachers beyond how it has revolutionized how students learn. 

Thinking about how teachers can share their work through Open Education Resources makes me wonder about the vitality and all the elements that surround “teacher tok” and public profiles whose following is based on them showing insights into their classroom, their structures and their students, especially discussing the importance of consent and the information we give away when we post an image of someone. Even if these teachers on social media cover their students’ faces, I struggle to see why teachers would need to use their students to gain popularity or to find validation as being great teachers from others. It feels very competitive as teachers look to be the most engaging or have the best gadgets for their classroom, which I think is a very unhealthy environment to involve your classroom in. Granted, many present themselves online as a reference point or model for teachers seeking inspiration or ideas. I feel that these individuals sharing via social media are jeopardizing some of their professionalism and are somewhat exploiting their students, specifically those who post their student’s work that the teacher designed for them to do. Open Education Resources is such a great platform for teachers to share their work, and now more than ever, I struggle to see why many teachers need to blur the boundary between their professionalism and their role on social media, which I view as sharing one’s life beyond the characteristics they are known as. For example, it is a way to get to know someone you go to school with beyond just being a classmate. You see their hobbies, trips, and what they want you to know about them. I personally respect and value the line between your professional role and your personal life, though I do not mean that I want to be cold and disconnected from students, as I want to do the opposite. I merely mean that, personally, teachers should take advantage of professional platforms to share their work while maintaining a distinction between who they are at work and at home. While I often find myself falling down the rabbit hole of teacher reels, as I cannot wait to have a classroom of my own and settle into my career, I struggle to see these accounts with the same professionalism as when I find lesson ideas or resources online in a platform like OER, which is very important to me as I look into my career. Perhaps it is just a case of what I am familiar with, but I always struggled to see a teacher as a professional when they did not hold a teacher presence and felt more like a friend than a teacher. I think interweaving your classroom and social media is problematic for students’ privacy, who are not old enough to consent themselves, and for your professionalism. In the future, I want to look into designing weekly newsletters for the parents of my classrooms to share our day-to-day while choosing OER to share any resources I may create and to find resources I want to pull into my classroom. I will leave social media for my life outside the classroom and will reserve it for my personal life.

Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash