How English Teachers Use Instagram and Other Social Media Platforms as Professional Development and Emotional Encouragement

How are high school English teachers using Instagram and other social media platforms as professional development and encouragement? This question is essential because the amount of information about education and teaching is constantly expanding, and through the use of social media platforms, teachers are now more readily able to communicate with each other. The widespread nature of social media has also created a new type of professional development through the past decade. Social media platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Teachers Pay Teachers, Twitter, and personal blogs offer professional development through the sharing of classroom materials, advice, and the collaboration of teachers. A review of literature also uncovered several articles and discussions about topics ranging from classroom management and how to help struggling students to methods of preventing and coping with symptoms of occupational burnout. Although there has been research conducted to find out the ways in which teachers use social media, little information is provided about how recognized these social media platforms are in terms of professional development and preventing teacher burnout. The researcher approached answering these questions through mixed methods:· Content analysis of three Instagram pages created by high school English teachers· Descriptive content and textual inquiry through the use of a Qualtrics survey and interviews of high school English teachers ; https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/fsrs2020/1031/thumbnail.jpg