Recently we hosted our third annual Northeast Georgie EdCamp. Fresh on my mind, a couple of friends who are making their way into an entrepreneurial version of their teacher persona. So one of the sessions we offered was “How & Why to Promote YOU!” It was well attended and had some awesome contributions especially from Nadia Williams, Ed. S.. probably a must-follow since you are reading this post. You can see our session notes from #NEGAedcamp on How or Why to Promote YOU.

Teaching is an odd profession. Teachers are not really promoted in a traditional sense. Teachers can enjoy a robust side-hustle though based on skills they have nurtured in their teaching gig {Related: What Do Teachers Own?}. To promote ourselves we need to do something outside of traditional structures. Here are some ways you can promote yourself:

Get Certified!

Here is an editable document on possible certifications I found through my International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) professional learning network (PLN) the EdTech Coaches Network (#ETCoaches). Also, revisit my blog post on 5 Summer Plans Teachers Already Have.

Once certified, promote on your website and all business-oriented social media channels (yes, LinkedIn, but also about.me, Instagram, and Twitter too). Use the badges provided everywhere, even your professional email. Consider starting an account for your micro-credentials which are Open Badges v2.0 (OBv2) certified by IMS Global with Credly or Badgr.

Network!

Join international, national, or state/local professional organizations {Realted: Join an #EdTech Professional Organization} for the networking opportunities. Do not overlook informal professional gatherings such as MeetUps and EdCamps {Related: EdCamps}. The members often are interested in furthering the industry and like to work with others to build upon what already exists.

Whichever your preferred social media there is a strategy for promotion! Twitter is filled with hashtags and chats to strategically join, Instagram can drive traffic to your website. Facebook is a traffic driver as well. Look for those in your network meeting your goals and connect with them for advice and tips.

One sure way to establish yourself in a community is to create or curate content. I am a big proponent of blogging {Related: Blogging}, however that is a time commitment. If you want to start right now consider curating relevant content. Use a service like Medium, Paper.li, or Flipboard to organize and share already-created content… until you have time to start that blog that is.

Be A Teacherpreneur!

When I think of the promotion of teachers as entrapreneurs I think of Will Deyamport, III, Ed.D.and you should too, he is a mandatory follow on Twitter.

Dr. Will specializes in finding and promoting those teachers already doing both – educating and making a few more bucks of their hustle. Check out the Dr. Will Show podcast. Watch the trailer for his documentary The Edupreneur and consider purchasing the documentary!

If you are interested in keepig it simple this summer the easiest pathway to teacherpreneurship is TeachersPayTeachers. Convert your own creations into products to sell at a nominal fee {Related: What Do Teachers Own?}.

 

How are you promoting yourself as a teacher?

Please share int he comments below – we want to learn from each other!