In last week’s post 131 Tips for New Teachers (thanks again to everyone that contributed) one of the tips that came up a few times was “form a PLN” (personal learning network). A PLN is a valuable resource for sharing ideas, getting feedback, and locating resources and strategies that will make you a better teacher. And as I realized today, having a PLN also means that you never have to eat lunch alone.

My Lunch Story
My school doesn’t have a traditional staff lunch room or “teachers lounge” (I hate that term by the way because it makes it sound like teachers are hanging out and smoking cigarettes all day). There are some small rooms filled with cubicles where some teachers meet, work, and eat. There is also a copy room with a small table where some people eat too. None of those places are terribly inviting places to lunch so most people end up eating in unoccupied classrooms.

This year, every other day my schedule doesn’t give me the opportunity to eat with others in one of those unoccupied rooms. Today, was one of those days, but I still didn’t spend my lunch in complete isolated silence. On the days when I don’t have the opportunity to eat with colleagues, I eat my yogurt and granola while connecting with my PLN on Twitter. Now you know why my Twitter activity spikes between 10:30 and 11am EST.

Resources for Creating Your PLN

Here are some related items that may be of interest to you:
My PLN and the Butter Battle Book
Why Do We Connect?