My Thoughts on Personal Learning Network

 A personal learning network (PLN) is something that every teacher should have and make a priority, in order to make themselves the best teacher they can be. When first hearing the term “personal learning network”, most people start thinking along the lines of a website or something involving a computer. However, someone’s personal learning network is actually a group of educators or resources that someone keeps close to them to help them better themselves as an educator. People in a PLN can be past teachers or mentors, coworkers, professionals, parents, and more. You want people to help you, encourage you, but also be honest with you. Being able to take constructive criticism is essential because then you know the areas you need to work on and better. I found the following site to be very helpful with explaining what exactly a PLN entails: https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/what-is-a-personal-learning-network/

When I think of my own personal learning network, there are a few people and things that come to mind. The first person I thought of was my dad. I look up to him for many reasons, but he is a teacher himself. He was a professor at BYU Hawaii, University of Northern Colorado, Chadron State College, and now an adviser at Aims Community College. So many students enjoyed him, he is a hard worker, and would be honest with me. He is always full of wise advice and I know he would not lead me astray. Another person that comes to mind is one of my best friend’s parents. Both his mom and dad are teachers in the Chadron Public School system, and his mom is an elementary teacher, which is exactly what I want to do. I know that she would give me a lot of great advice, techniques, and share her experiences with me to learn from.

What I found exciting and encouraging was that the teacher community is so strong, positive, and supportive. After following different people on twitter and blogs, I realized that everyone is looking out for each other and sharing their own discoveries and experiences for everyone to learn from. Everyone has one goal in mind and that is to better themselves and the education system, and I think that is awesome. Every job has its ups and downs, but to know that people are probably going through similar struggles as you in your profession is comforting. I know that developing a strong personal learning network is important and will help me in the future, especially when I am struggling. It is a great thing because your PLN is something that you can continue to build on throughout your whole career.