Teaching Profession

How Teachers Use TikTok: To Get New Ideas, Feel Inspired, and Indulge a Laugh or Two

By Hayley Hardison — February 14, 2023 3 min read
Grid of 6 screengrabs from various Teachers' TikTok accounts
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Whether it’s setting up the ideal classroom layout or seeking solace after a difficult day, you’re going to find something new on #teachertok.

The #teachersoftiktok and #teacher hashtags have a combined total of 96.1 billion views across all videos, so it’s safe to say educators have carved out a wide-reaching space on the platform. Some teachers say they use TikTok to meet students where they are, and then engage them in deeper learning through other approaches. Many use the video-sharing platform to connect with other educators, discuss their profession, and share lesson ideas or inspiration.

Here are some interesting ways that teachers use TikTok, as well as several of the most popular teaching-related hashtags and searches.

Comedy

Last spring, Education Week reporter Ileana Najarro wrote about how a touring comedy show created by Bored Teachers was helping teachers form connections—and laugh lines—with other educators by creating a space for them to come together and discuss challenges specific to the teaching profession in a lighthearted way.

Perhaps the success of comedic teaching-related outlets is due to a decline in teacher satisfaction and morale over the last decade. The 2022 Merrimack College Teacher Survey, which was conducted by the EdWeek Research Center and commissioned by Winston School of Education and Social Policy at Merrimack College, found that “[a] little more than half of teachers are satisfied with their jobs, and only 12 percent say they’re ‘very satisfied’ with their jobs, down from 39 percent in 2012. More than half of teachers said they likely wouldn’t advise their younger self to pursue a career in teaching.”

Teachers who use humor on TikTok to reach other educators tend to do so as a form of encouragement for and camaraderie with their peers.

OOTDs (‘Outfit of the day’)

Though teacher dress codes are an often-debated issue among school staff, and attire requirements vary by district, teachers on TikTok bring their followers heaps of fresh apparel ideas to help them put together outfits for the school day.

Discussing serious topics

#Teachertok isn’t all about attractive classroom decorations, creative lesson ideas, or comfy-but-cool outfit inspiration. Many teachers leverage their TikTok platforms to highlight serious issues in education and the teaching profession, as well as advocate for various social-justice topics.

@justflintisfine Hot take: the litter boxes in schools rumor was fabricated to derail the lack of humanity at the core of this debate #trans #transtok #transkids #transkidsmatter #teachertok #teachersoftiktok #teacherlife #education #k12 #transyouth #queerteacher ♬ original sound - Flint
@_theteacherlady Parents, please make sure you know who is teaching your children b/c the “solutions” are concerning. #parents #teachers #RufflesOwnYourRidges #sped ♬ Ameno Amapiano Remix (You Wanna Bamba) - Goya Menor & Nektunez

Encouragement

We’ve written about tips to help teachers shake the “October Blues,” that time of year when teachers lose the sense of excitement from the start of the school year and get caught in tangles of stress in the fall. Teachers on TikTok show solidarity for their fellow educators struggling to stay motivated.

@noellelovessloths Might have to start making these every friday for the rest of the year #teacherlife #friday #noellelovessloths ♬ Everybody Dance Now - nate_t3xas

Classroom management conversations

Cell phones in class, or no cell phones in class? Should students be allowed to eat during instruction time? How should classroom management strategies differ by students’ age?

Educators often debate the most effective classroom management strategies. (See EdWeek’s Classroom Management tag for more reading.) Some teachers on TikTok share their take on classroom management, offering advice from their experiences with students.

@ya_boi_mr._stevenson Replying to @x50shadesoftrey mindset: how can we give them reasons to be engaged? EXTREME OWNERSHIP. #teacher #stevensontok #school #learnontiktok #satisfying #teachersoftiktok #fyp ♬ She Share Story (for Vlog) - 山口夕依
@myclassroomdiaries I think I am obsessed with trying new classroom management strategies 😂🫶🏼 #teacher #classroommangagement #firstyearteacher #teachersoftiktok #futureteacher ♬ original sound - Kaitlyn Mccarty

Connecting with students

Last year, we wrote about some of the creative ways that principals use TikTok to help foster a positive school culture. Here are some examples of how teachers are using it to connect with their students, too.

Sharing advice, tips, and strategies

One of the most expansive corners of #teachertok includes teachers sharing advice about all things related to the teaching profession. From tips for early-career teachers to lesson activity ideas, TikTok teachers share it all with each other.

Popular teacher hashtags

#teachertips

#teachertok

#teachersoftiktok

#teacherlife

#classroommanagement

#teacheradvice

#teachingvideos

#studentengagement

#highschoolteacher

#elementaryteacher

#teacherhumor

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Equity & Diversity Webinar
Classroom Strategies for Building Equity and Student Confidence
Shape equity, confidence, and success for your middle school students. Join the discussion and Q&A for proven strategies.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Disrupting PD Day in Schools with Continuous Professional Learning Experiences
Hear how this NC School District achieved district-wide change by shifting from traditional PD days to year-long professional learning cycles
Content provided by BetterLesson
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Profession In L.A., Teachers and Parents Raise Money for Striking Service Workers
Many service workers cannot afford to miss work during the three-day strike. Teachers and parents are stepping in to help.
Delilah Brumer, Daily Breeze
3 min read
Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers of Los Angeles, with Max Arias, executive director of the Service Employees International SEIU Local 99 union, speak to thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District teachers and SEIU members rallying outside the LAUSD headquarters in Los Angeles Tuesday, March 21, 2023.
A crowd of attendees at a joint rally by United Teachers of Los Angeles and SEIU 99 gathers in front of City Hall on March 15, 2023, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Damian Dovarganes/AP
Teaching Profession Q&A Los Angeles Educators Are Set to Strike. Will Teachers Elsewhere Follow Suit?
Unions in cities have become more aggressive—and low wages coupled with a demand for talent are giving them leverage.
6 min read
Thousands of LAUSD education workers calling on LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to use the district’s $4.9 billion in reserves to invest in staff, students, and communities rally at Grand Park in front of Los Angeles City Hall in Los Angeles on March 15, 2023.
Thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District educators call on Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to use the district’s nearly $5 billion in reserves to invest in staff, students, and communities at a rally at the city's Grand Park on March 15, 2023.
Keith Birmingham/Pasadena Star-News via TNS
Teaching Profession The Gender Pay Gap Is a Problem for Teachers, Too
Women dominate the profession. Men still make more.
5 min read
A conceptual image of a female being paid less than a male.
hyejin kang/iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Five Ways Teachers Are Spending Their Spring Break
Punxsutawney Phil may have seen his shadow, but springtime is almost here. See how teachers are spending spring break this year.
1 min read
Sunrise and bokeh over paddy rice field. Paddy field farming at sunrise.
iStock/Getty Images Plus