[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Finding inspiration from a PowerPoint slide at a teacher workshop, English teacher Donna Friend started the #TodayAtHHS hashtag in March to praise students and teachers for their work in the classroom. Since then, the hashtag has grown to over a hundred of teachers and students tweeting updates, ranging from annotating Shakespearean sonnets to Starbucks art.

“We have some of the most amazing teachers in the world in our building,” Friend said. “There are some, I’d like to take their classes I find them so fascinating. This is a cool way to get those glimpses and also not just for the inspiration but to just praise our kids, our own students, when they are in other people’s classes.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][image_with_animation image_url=”9013″ animation=”Fade In” img_link_target=”_self”][vc_column_text]

Friend tries to tweet #TodayAtHHS every day. This tweet commends the Academic Octathlon’s participation. Photo provided by: Twitter

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]While topics for #TodayAtHHS are varying, teacher’s use discretion on which classroom activities are hashtag-worthy.

“I’m looking for students … having fun, demonstrating their learning,” English teacher Joel Leader said. “Students feel engaged in their learning because they see value in it, not because it’s flashy.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][image_with_animation image_url=”9020″ animation=”Fade In” img_link_target=”_self”][vc_column_text]

Leader typically tweets when students are highly involved. This tweet highlights his class in their Shakespeare unit. Photo provided by: Twitter

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Initially created to showcase student success, the hashtag is also used to connect with former students and communicate between campuses.

“I’ve found it fun to kind of keep track of everybody,” Pre-AP English teacher Shannon Whiteley said. “I’ve had former students that have seen the ‘Today we did this,’ and they tweeted back at me ‘Oh, I remember that, that was so much fun,’ or ‘Oh, Ms. Whiteley, that was so hard,’ so that’s been fun for my old students to comment back.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][image_with_animation image_url=”9023″ animation=”Fade In” img_link_target=”_self”][vc_column_text]

Teachers do not only have to tweet about in-class activities. For this tweet, Whiteley mentions the choir’s derby car race held on May 16. Photo provided by: Twitter

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]According to Friend, the hashtag not only creates unity among students and faculty but uses social media to spread positivity.

“I think it builds a community of teachers as professionals who are willing to share,” Friend said. “We’re not afraid of what we’re doing in our class or afraid we’re going to be judged by each other or higher-ups or whoever, that instead we’re going to share those ideas and those strategies … I’m hoping we kind of keep building this camaraderie … The media likes to sometimes just share all the negative stuff because that’s what gets people’s attention but it’d be really nice for us to put the positive things out there.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]