In the 10th episode of Season 2 of The Schoolyard Podcast, host Nancy Chung interviews a past guest, Juan Edgar Gonzalez, Jr. Juan is an influential elementary teacher from Houston, Texas who is known for his work around literacy. The episode explores how teachers can be seen as influencers, both in the classroom and online.
Juan talks a bit about what motivated him to create his social media accounts. He says that a desire to build a community, something that he found lacking at his school, was his main driver. He explores the idea of resisting the urge to make everything “look perfect” and leaning into authenticity. He mentions that sharing struggles is often the thing that connects him with his audience.
Juan gets very personal and shares how he handled a cancer diagnosis and treatment between the ages of 18 and 20 years old. He credits that experience with being the cornerstone that shaped his perspective from that point forward. He has developed an attitude that concentrates on gratitude and positivity which he uses to fuel his motivation to share uplifting content.
The conversation moves on to cover the evolution of social media as a valuable tool for professional development, allowing teachers to learn from one another and share effective strategies. Juan mentions how his fellow teachers and their social media content have helped him with his own teaching.
Juan shares some of his favorite books and how he feels about books that have been turned into movies. He tells about a field trip he took with his students to see an adaptation of a book they had read and their surprising reaction.
As Nancy and Juan chat, they touch on the delicate balance needed when teachers begin sharing their classroom happenings online. The need to respect student privacy while still sharing an authentic window into the classroom can be difficult. They agree that the rewards of creating content that resonates with other educators make up for the challenges.
To wrap up the episode, Juan shares his advice to educators who want to use social media to be a force for good in the world. He touches on the power of authenticity and how it is truly inspiring to others and will attract people to content.
Juan Edgar Gonzalez, Jr., also known as @teaching3rdwithmrg on Instagram, is an elementary school teacher from Houston, Texas. He’s well-known and well-loved for his love of literacy. Juan is one of the main speakers at the biggest teacher conference in the nation and uses his social media at @teaching3rdwithmrg to connect with teachers worldwide. His mission through this work is to spotlight the great work educators are doing in their classrooms and to inspire everyone to read more books.
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