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The teacher’s role makes its appearance on social media, adapting to Generation Z, and showing that education also evolves with the times.
Dances, challenges, comedy? These may be some of the main categories familiar to TikTok users, the social media that has been enthralling the new generations. However, we have discovered that thousands of new communities are on it to share a little about their passions. One of the most significant ones, increasingly growing, is the teaching community.
On October 5, UNESCO celebrates World Teachers’ Day, honoring all persons connected to teaching and education, collaborating with UNICEF, the World Labor Organization, and the International Education Organization. This year, the day will pay tribute to teachers under the theme, “Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future.” UNESCO invites us to celebrate this day and work with people in this profession who are in our lives to fight for the right to education and guide it to the unfolding landscape brought about by the pandemic.
Due to the lockdowns that came with COVID-19, thousands of institutions worldwide were forced to transform their face-to-face courses into lessons taught online on platforms such as Zoom or Google Hangouts. But many teachers decided to take their profession beyond the classroom and the usual learning platforms. Now, a growing number of teachers impart some of their knowledge in videos of 60 seconds or less, benefiting younger generations and connecting with them better, making their lessons fast, dynamic, and incredibly educational.
Many of these videos use hashtags such as #education, #teacherlife2020, #teachersoftiktok, or #onlineschool, like this video posted by a teacher that went viral. Still, one can also find people specializing in various subjects with their respective hashtags. For example, suppose a user wants to find tips for his or her first job interview. In that case, they can find an informative TikTok under #workinterview and specialized accounts in business trend tips, photography, and production techniques, and advice for design programs, among many others.
Examples of TikTok accounts specializing in teaching and education
@signofdatimes Time to get those HANDZTALKIN ##fyp ##asl ##lovewhatyoudo ##teachersoftiktok ##dowhatyoulove ##gallaudetuniversity ##signlanguage
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Institute of Human Anatomy (@instituteofhumananatomy): Medical specialists educate about human anatomy from their laboratories.
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Sign of Da’ Times (@signofdatimes): An account that aims to bridging the gap between Deaf & hearing Culture thru Education & performing arts.
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Ms. Ryter (@msryterteach): An Elementary Teacher from Florida, USA.
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Sam (@15secondenglish): An English teacher gives 15-second lessons to help people hone their diction and expand their vocabulary.
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I Teach Algebra (@iteachalgebra): Algebra 1 & Geometry Teacher from New Jersey, USA.
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Sam (@15secondenglish): An English teacher gives 15-second lessons to help people hone their diction and expand their vocabulary.
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Teach tok (@teach_tok): Two teachers that give advice and tips on how to relate to students.
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Brooke Rogers (@thatnewteacher): An English Teacher from California, USA.
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J.C. Dombrowski (@jc.dombrowski): A Marine Biologist student from Cornell University.
It is important to note that many teachers are dedicated to creating content on social media such as TikTok to support students struggling with online education and the problems that the pandemic has brought. Whatever the context, teachers are committed to imparting the new generations with all the knowledge they need to experience complete and balanced student life.
The teacher’s work has evolved thanks to this new generation and the wave of technology. The pandemic was just the push needed for platforms like TikTok to take on a much greater meaning, a voice for all individuals who desire to exploit it, not only for entertainment purposes. It also shows us that anyone can be a teacher, and anyone can be a student. Today, on World Teachers’ Day, let’s recognize the great work they have done this year to give academic continuity despite the pandemic.
Translation by Daniel Wetta.
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This article from Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education may be shared under the terms of the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 
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