30 Days to Save Teacher Twitter (or Die Trying)

But here’s the thing: connection still matters.

At EMC² Learning, we’ve always believed in the transformative power of meaningful connection — between teachers and students, and between educators worldwide. Our community is built on a foundation of collaboration, innovation, and playfully powerful classroom practices that celebrate what’s best about education. And while the heyday of “Teacher Twitter” and podcasts might have been the first place where we all found our community, the heart of the matter is that authentic human connections are far more important than any platform that might come and go along the way. Sure, times change. Tech changes. But great teaching? That’s always been about the timeless truths of human connection — and it always will be.

Because this isn’t just “things change, get over it.” It’s “the thing that made this worth it doesn’t seem to be here anymore.”

That’s why, starting today, I’m launching a personal experiment: 30 Days to Shape Up or Ship Out.

This idea was sparked by my friend and EMC² Learning co-founder Michael Matera, who’s long championed the power of 30-day challenges. His philosophy is simple: commit to doing one meaningful thing for 30 days and see where it leads. Years ago, it was Michael who first introduced me to The Kaizen Way, inspired by the Japanese concept of kaizen (which means “continuous improvement”) — the belief that small, consistent actions can lead to big, lasting change. It’s a philosophy that he and I truly try to take to heart in the work that we do together here at EMC² Learning. And it’s the same mindset that felt like the perfect lens through which to run this experiment.

So.

For the next month, I’m giving Twitter a chance to prove it’s still a space where educators can find value. And like any good wannabe scientist, I’ll be experimenting with a “control group” (Twitter) and a second “variable group” by posting the exact same content on two of the biggest social media platforms on the planet. Here’s the game plan:

The Great 30 Days to Save Teacher Twitter Experiment Rules:

• I’ll post at least once per day about something meaningful to teaching, learning, or professional growth on “X” (formerly known as Twitter).
  
  
• I’ll post the exact same content on Bluesky, an emerging social media platform that’s been receiving a whole lot of educator love over the past six months.
  
  
• No matter how “dead” the place feels, I promise not to get all grouchy, sarcastic, or otherwise unpleasant on my feed. Be the change you want to see in the world, right?!
  
  
• I’ll share links to ideas of my own, as well as a bunch of clever and/or creative videos/articles/ideas from fellow educators, plus a smattering of exciting info and resources that are available to members of the EMC² Learning community
  
  
• I’ll actively seek out educator conversations (old hashtags, thought leaders, PLN friends), finding new accounts to follow and new faces to learn from as we go.
  
  
• Every time someone replies to one of my posts, I’ll make a point of following up with them via replies right there in the platform within a 24 hour window to help keep the conversation rolling until its natural end.
  
  
• All month long, I’ll measure “value” by tracking: New ideas that inspire action in my own work, meaningful conversations (not just likes, but real exchanges), professional opportunities and connections or presentation ideas, new connections with educators who spark thoughtful dialogue

At the end of 30 days, I’ll report back. If Twitter shows it can still deliver meaningful professional connection and growth? Awesome! I’ll stick around with a renewed sense of purpose. And if Bluesky has got the goods for that same teacher-centered community that the social media site with the little blue bird once boasted of so proudly? Amazeballs.

But if not… it might be time to move on and invest my energy elsewhere.

Because here’s the thing:

Teachers are pressed for time and strapped for cash the way it is. We don’t need a pay-per-click platform that simply shakes us down for more cash in order to avoid the intentional pitfalls of their proprietary algorithm. Nor do we need a virtual “abandoned mall” where we spend countless hours wandering aimlessly in hopes of sparking a meaningful conversation with like-minded colleagues. Simply stated, educators deserve better than hollow noise. We deserve community, creativity, and collaboration. And if Twitter (or Bluesky, or whatever the case and place may be!) can’t be that space anymore, we need to be brave enough to go build it somewhere else.

So consider this your invitation: If you believe in amplifying the awesome, join us. Use the hashtag #EMC2Learning on either platform — and feel free to tag me (@MeehanEDU on Twitter/X, @meehanedu.bsky.social on Bluesky) so we can celebrate, connect, and grow together.

And finally, as a quick frame of reference (so we’ll have these numbers to refer back to later!):

Twitter/X: 
Account created: 2014
34.2K posts
8,600 Following
16.3K Followers

Bluesky: 
Account created: 2024
92 posts
1.3K following
1.1K followers

Let’s see what happens!