Twittering tweeter

When some people hear the word "Twitter," they automatically think of wasting time. After all, how can you have time for work when you're telling people what you had for lunch, or spreading the gossip from your 2 p.m. staff meeting? It's true that Twitter can be a distraction. But it can also be an important resource for both personal and organizational growth.

Twitter is a social networking site that allows users to connect with each other and send short messages, or "tweets," about what they're doing or thinking. Imagine that! What if the school assigned a learner to an educator or vice versa, an educator assigned to an individual or number of learners to monitor their daily activities? Your "followers" would see your tweets in a rolling feed, called a timeline, when they log into the service on their arrival at school.

Each educator could decide what they want to tweet. Tweets can be trivial - "what someone ate for breakfast" example - or they can be significant and valuable, for example, when they highlight key news, or articles from the school.

Here are some tips to help you learn the lingo of ‘tweeeting’

Hashtag - (#) can help people track different topics to find information easily. Simply put the # symbol in front of your tweet's most relevant word, or use it to "tag" a tweet under a certain category. For example, #leadership or #football.
Followers - These are your friends or connections - the people who are following your tweets. Your tweets will appear on their timelines. But please remember, all tweets are technically "public" and searchable unless you decide to make your account private. Be careful what you say.

@ Replies - If you want to tweet to someone else, use @ right before that person's username. For example, tweet "@mary45 I saw your tweet. Interesting!" - and mary45 will get the message in her timeline (if she follows you).

If you put the person's name at the very start of the tweet, as in the example above, only you, her, and people who follow both of you will see the Tweet in their timelines. If you put her name elsewhere in the message, everyone who follows you will see the tweet. For example, this would happen if you tweeted "Me and @mary45 are working on a new matric dance proposal."

Use a strong headline - Most followers simply scan Twitter, so your "headline" should be effective and authentic enough to capture their attention. Keep it short -

Twitter allows only 140 characters, so your messages must be simple yet powerful.
Write clearly - Use the same good writing rules you would use when writing any professional document. Grammar and style - and proofreading - still matter with Twitter.

Keep it useful - If you tweet a link or share an article, make sure it's something that your followers will find useful or valuable. Get “tweeting”...

Student Leaders

Congratulations to those being chosen as Student Leader for your school. The fact that you have been given this honour must not detract from the importance of the role. For those not chosen, lessons can still be learnt;

It's important to take the time to reflect on your own leadership development. A vital student leader seldom waits for failure before appraising his or her leadership skills. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before accepting the role.

1. How and where do I have influence?
Influence - not position or power - makes a student leader successful.

1. What is my current level of influence at school ?
2. How often do others turn to me for direction or approval?
3. Do I see evidence of my influence with those whom I work for and those who work for me?
4. Who influences me and how?
Remember, we often adopt both the strengths and weaknesses of those around us, so make sure you are not being influenced in a way that leads you away from your goals.
5. In what new areas can I extend my influence?
It may be a new club or community project, a new alliance, or a new group of friends.

2. Where can I improve my people skills?
Someone can lead for a season based on position or problem-solving ability, but success in the long run depends on the ability to get along with and develop people.

1. How can I improve my listening skills?
2. How can I discover what motivates those whom I lead?
3. Am I willing to ask more questions and get more input from others?

3. Do I have a positive outlook?
A positive attitude alone doesn't identify a capacity for student leadership, but a negative spirit will always diminish a person's leadership potential. Never forget that a crisis situation is precisely when leadership is most noticed and valued.

1. When am I most tempted to display a bad attitude?
2. Who do I know that has a negative outlook? Do I allow them to influence me?
3. What kinds of strategies can I implement when I'm tempted to become negative?

4. Do I see evidence of growth in self-discipline?

1. Am I disciplined in my use of time?
2. Do I have worthwhile goals?
3. Are there any evidences of lack of self-discipline in my appearance or work habits?

5. Do I have a proven track record of success as a student leader?
Some people work like crazy and never accomplish anything. Past success is a key predictor of future success.

1. What have I accomplished that I am proud of?
2. Did those accomplishments include others?
3. How does my experience relate to what I need today?
4. Am I willing to put forth the effort again?

6. How are my problem-solving skills?
Many people are impressed with their ability to spot a problem. Identifying a problem is easy; just about anyone can do it. Student leaders must solve problems.

1. When I encounter a problem, do I think of solutions or excuses?
2. Do people approach me when they need help solving a problem?
3. What techniques/strategies have I developed to solve problems?


7. Do I have a big-picture mindset?
How often do you step back to maintain perspective, especially in the face of distractions or pressure? Keeping a sense of direction when the fog of fatigue sets in is a trait of a gifted leader.

1. When am I most tempted to just live from event to event?
2. What sort of reminders do I have in place to keep me mindful of the big picture?
3. Who is someone who keeps me accountable for maintaining a view of the big picture?


Finally remember the AAA solution for any problems that may come your way during your term of office;

1. Attitude - must always be positive.
2. Abilities - must strive for excellence.
3. Actions (and InterActions) - must add value to others.


Next month: What is your vision for next year?