Kelly Kermode discusses how she has built her brand as an educator through maintaining an online presence. She posts pictures and articles, tweets regularly, and updates her resume and portfolio sites. She does this to model lifelong learning for her students and foster connections. While taking time off to have children hurt her professionally, maintaining an online presence has increased her relationships with other teachers and students.

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Kelly Kermode | Adobe Education Leader, Classroom Teacher
Reflections on Building My Brand

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Build Your Brand: Getting Started
Adobe Education Exchange Discussion Prompt:
The prolific and accessible creation and sharing of digital information
allows for building your brand online.
How have you, as an educator, built your brand? Why and what
difference has it made?
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Build Your Brand: Getting Started
Response:
I can say from experience that having an online
presence, and fostering its growth, is extremely important and
beneficial. As far as a "brand" goes, I am still figuring that part
out. My career and passions are so varied that I don't want to
pigeonhole myself and miss making connections. I try to simply
present myself as a creative, a teacher, and a learner.
Specifically, the actions I try and take on a regular basis include:
 post pictures of my classroom, my school, my life;
 write online;
 publish articles;
 tweet regularly;
 update online resumes/portfolio sites (work-in-progress);
 and create and publish something creative on a frequent
basis.
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Kelly Kermode
Adobe Education Leader
Classroom Teacher
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Build Your Brand: Getting Started
Modeling for My Students
My biggest motivation for doing all of this is to model for my
students. Model online presence. Model lifelong learning. Model how
to brand oneself. They RARELY get to see this, and well, they need
to be able to ask questions, give feedback, and evaluate what works
and what doesn't. Their feedback has been invaluable. They are
ruthless and honest, and I love it. If I publish something, I often ask
them for feedback immediately. They detect tone, they detect an
uncommon cultural reference, they detect the lifelong lesson. They
see someone growing professionally, taking risks, and reaching out.
Sometimes I ask them to define me off of my online presence. It's a
funny discussion - and it creates a dialogue to help us all understand
what actions online mean…
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Build Your Brand: Getting Started
On Staying Active
While I was busy having kids, I stopped posting stuff online. It
definitely hurt me professionally. I did all of these
cool, innovative, creative activities with my students and staff, but I
didn't share it online. No one knew. And that's just what I was giving
to the community. I didn't realize how much I missed out until I
became active again online. With that said, when I was ready to
come back, the support was overwhelming. I have not looked
back…
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Build Your Brand: Getting Started
It’s About Relationships
When you have a voice online, when you represent
yourself, everyone can know you without being in the same room.
People can recognize your vision, your passion, your commitment. I
have had teachers a mile down the road talk to me about something
I updated on my profile. They could recognize that I was a resource
to them, and it drew a deeper connection. It allowed for better
sharing. Having an online presence has also increased my
relationships with students. That's what they do... they want to
"preview" a person before investing time in someone. If they can
Google me, and find out what makes me tick, then it allows for better
conversations in class…
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7. © 2013 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.
Build Your Brand: Getting Started
In Conclusion
I am not sure how to encapsulate in a small comment how
important community is in our profession. I would be nothing without
my peers. They inspire me everyday. They push me to be better. My
online presence also serves as a reflection of the people with whom
I surround myself. I don't know how that fits in the branding
discussion, but it is a small truth about online identity. A big portion of
that online presence is what you give back to those who help you
grow.
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” --Kelly Kermode
Adobe Education Leader
Classroom Teacher

8. © 2013 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.