10 educators you should follow on Twitter

Teaching requires an immense amount of creativity, constant learning, and a supportive community. When you lack inspiration or feel isolated, fellow teachers can be incredibly helpful. Today, many educators share thoughts on lesson planning, student connection, and self-care on Twitter.

• Steven W. Anderson

Steven W. Anderson is the founder and CEO of Web20Classroom, an education and technology consulting group. Steven tweets about pedagogy and integrating tech in the classroom, and he frequently reminds individuals to “be awesome!” He helped create #EdChat and regularly participates at speaking events and webinars. Follow him for his latest tidbits of wisdom.

• Vicki Davis

Vicki Davis offers encouragement and practical tips for teachers. She tweets about anything relevant to teachers — from classroom management tips to inspirational messages on how to love.

She also hosts the 10-Minute Teacher Show, a daily podcast where she digs into practical tips for teachers by interviewing fellow educators. Each day of the week has a different theme: Motivation Mondays, EdTech Tool Tuesdays, Wonderful Classroom Wednesdays, Thought Leader Thursdays, and 5-Idea Fridays.

Between her social media presence, blog, and podcast, she offers a wide collection of advice for educators of all grade levels and subject matter.



• Tom Whitby

Tom Whitby is the founder of Edchat Interactive and Twitter’s #edchat, a place for teachers to ask questions and have conversations about all things education. Whitby tweets about a wide range of educational topics, from public policy to EdTech and professional development. He fosters communication on #edchat by polling followers on which topics they want to cover. He cowrote The Relevant Educator, a book about how teachers can use social media to build a professional network for development and learning.

• Jennifer Williams

Jennifer Williams is a professor at Saint Leo University in Florida and cofounder of Calliope Global Education Initiatives. She inspires conversations about global education, creativity, and professional development, hosting #peekachat, which covers topics like self-care, social-emotional learning, and play.

A highly respected educator, Williams has written for Edutopia, Education Week, Pearson English, and the International Literacy Association. She believes that teachers and students can help make the world a better place.

• Deborah J. Stewart

Preschool teachers work with an age group that’s full of energy and curiosity — it takes a lot to keep up with them. If you work with kids between three and five years old, Deborah J. Stewart understands your classroom and daily life.

The owner of Teach Preschool Children’s Studio in Noblesville, Indiana, her feed is full of art activities, ideas for outdoor play, songs, circle time activities, and all the resources a preschool teacher needs when preparing lesson plans. Her blog organizes the resources into categories: literacy, art, STEM, sensory play, motor skills, and “in the classroom.”

• Aaron Hogan

Aaron Hogan is a Texas-based teacher. He shares engaging content that helps remind teachers what really matters. This can be a reminder to find things that feed your passion for teaching, discussions about purpose, or valuable tips on effective pedagogy.

He wrote the book Shattering the Perfect Teacher Myth: 6 Truths That Will Help You Thrive as an Educator and believes that while there is no such thing as the perfect teacher, there are strategies (including a powerful support system) that help teachers to succeed.

• Jackie Gerstein

Elementary teacher Jackie Gerstein, Ed.D., is passionate about teaching and how technology can enhance learning. An online faculty member at Boise State and Walden Universities, she is also a cohort facilitator of student teachers at Western Governors University.

Gerstein tweets about a range of educational topics that center on authentic learning. She regularly shares real lesson activities — writing and filming “I have a dream” speeches created by students, Pi day activities, sustainable development lessons, and more. Gerstein has a knack for planning engaging, interdisciplinary learning activities and is happy to share them with other teachers on Twitter.



• Kristin Ziemke

For those interested in the intersection of education and technology, try following Kristin Ziemke. A teacher and learning innovation specialist, she shares interesting ideas and discoveries with others. Her pinned tweet is an image of practical ways to use tech with young learners, like creating an anchor chart with websites where students can seek more information. (She doesn’t forget the library.) You can dig deeper by reading her books: AMPLIFY: Digital Teaching & Learning in the K-6 Classroom and Connecting Comprehension and Technology.

• Brian Mendler

Educational consultant Brian Mendler shares practical advice on how to maintain connections with students, especially those with behavior challenges. He wrote That One Kid and has co-authored five other books that focus on building relationships with students who disrupt class (and their parents). He advocates discipline with dignity. If you’re struggling to connect with your students, Mendler is a great resource.

• Steven Isaacs

Looking for ways to integrate video games with student learning? Steven Isaacs is a video game design and development teacher who provides a unique perspective on games in the classroom.

Isaacs covers video games that encourage social change, emotional development, math, and problem solving. On his Games and Learning blog, he explains in detail how he uses Minecraft and other games in class.

If your students are interested in games but you’re not sure how to incorporate that into lesson planning, Isaacs is the teacher to follow.