As regular readers know, I’m no great fan of social media. I worry about its impact on popular culture, public discourse, and emotional health. But it’s also a huge presence in our daily lives, and I’m interested in whether it can be used responsibly. That’s why I was intrigued by the opportunity to discuss these issues with Gabe Dannenbring, the middle school science teacher and wildly successful education content creator who just began his fifth year teaching in the Sioux Falls school district in South Dakota. Gabe uses social media to talk about teaching, schooling, and education, accumulating 1.6 million followers on TikTok, 500,000 on Instagram, 180,000 on Facebook, and 100,000 on YouTube. We recently chatted about how he came to be an influencer, how he approaches that role, and the good and the bad of social media.
–Rick

Rick: Gabe, so what’s it like to be a teacher who’s also an education influencer?

Gabe: It is honestly such a fun experience. I spend all day in the classroom, then get to be creative coming up with content after teaching. There are many weekends that I teach on Friday, hop on a flight after work to go do something in the “entertainment world,” then fly home on Sunday night. Monday morning comes, and I’m back to being a teacher. At times, I feel like Hannah Montana. I’m living a double life. I go from the classroom, where I am viewed as another teacher, to the outside world, where people ask me for pictures or my opinion on issues in education. One of the highlights is being able to show the world what it’s actually like to be a teacher, and I find it especially fun when teachers approach me and say things like “Oh my gosh, you nailed it.”

Rick: How did you get into this?

Gabe: One day in 2020, I decided to let my students play the game Kahoot!, which has a very recognizable soundtrack. One day, I surprised my students by launching the game. I had my phone sitting on my desk with the camera pointed at me, recording my reaction. When the students heard the soundtrack to the game, they all lost their minds, yelling and screaming; they were super happy. That night, on a whim, I posted the video. To my surprise, the video started getting a lot of traction online, and it ended up getting 40-some million views. Since that video went viral, I’ve been making content. One video literally changed my life and started it all.

Rick: What are some of your most popular videos about?

Gabe: My most popular videos are about things like why teaching is so overstimulating, what it’s like teaching middle schoolers, and my favorite responses to use when my students try to roast me. One particular video focuses on how middle schoolers get “the zoomies.” In that video, I talk about how one of my favorite parts of being a middle school teacher is how students act silly without realizing it, and then I show what it looks like.

Rick: What do you think explains the interest in your videos?

Gabe: I think it comes down to my ability to relate to parents and teachers. They are my primary target audience. I am always blown away when I get messages from people all over the world who say things like “I see the same thing in my school!” Or “Wow, middle school boys act the same way in my country.”

Rick: How does your school feel about your social media presence?

Gabe: They are supportive! My school believes that it is a great way to build rapport with students and families. I avoid making videos about anything controversial, and I am sure they appreciate that. My goal is to keep it fun, relatable, and witty. The last thing I want to do is make controversial videos. When I make a video, I also think to myself, “If my principal got a complaint about this video, can I defend my actions?” If yes, I post; if no, I do not post.

Rick: What’s one thing that might surprise readers about being a teacher influencer?

Gabe: How challenging it is to be consistently creative. I have been making content for over five years, and coming up with new ideas is very hard. When people consume content, they often think it looks very easy to make; however, it is only the especially creative influencers who make it look easy. Coming up with relatable, clean, and clever content can be challenging, but it is also so much fun.

I try to keep most of my videos comedic, but comedy is subjective. One person may find a video funny, while another may find the video offensive or unprofessional. That’s why I am very careful about each video I post. I also think people will be shocked by the hate I get in my comments or direct messages. So many people in this country hate teachers, so they direct the hate toward a public teacher like me. The negative comments and messages don’t affect me like they used to, but they can definitely wear me down. I once went on a reality show that streamed on Netflix, and the hate I received from that was very challenging.

Rick: How have you maintained your interest in producing videos, year after year?

Gabe: I stay inspired because I genuinely feel like I am bringing laughter and fun to the education world. Teaching is challenging, so if I can make someone laugh about our struggles, then it’s worth the creative grind! I try to post 3-4 videos a week. Some weeks, that’s easy to do, but other weeks, I have a creative block, and it’s very challenging. There have been many times when I’ve thought, “I’m done, I’ll never have a good video ever again,” then a few hours go by, inspiration strikes, and I come up with a creative and relatable idea.

Rick: You’ve partnered with some major brands. What does that entail?

Gabe: I have been so fortunate to work with some massive brands such as Google, Amazon, Old Navy, NBC, T-Mobile, and dozens more. Since these partnerships involve the endorsement of a product or brand, I only work with those brands that can help educators or students. I have a team of agents at Viral Nation who take care of the business side of the influencer world. Without them, I wouldn’t have nearly the opportunities that have presented themselves. One of the unexpected benefits of this role has been learning about the business and marketing world through content creation, and this is something I try to share with interested students. Having those conversations helps my students understand what it takes to make social media a full-time career.

Rick: Education is rife with hot-button cultural fights. How do you approach those issues?

Gabe: This is one thing that is very challenging for me. In the past, I tactfully voiced my opinion, and it has almost always backfired and created controversy. These days, I focus on making content that can bring together teachers, parents, and students. There are many accounts you can go to if you want to hear about hot-button political fights in education, but my account is not one of them. I often have people criticize me for not speaking up about the culture war and political issues, but my response to them is, “On my accounts, I will post what I want. I want teachers to be able to go to my account and laugh and feel like someone relates to them.”

Rick: There are a lot of concerns about how kids and social media. What’s your take?

Gabe: I think kids are very addicted to their phones, but so are adults. Consuming content can be great if done in moderation. Some watch it for entertainment, some to learn, and others to be outraged. We all need a place to relax, and watching content is that place for many people. I am currently hyperfixated on North Korea and airplanes. I have learned so much about both topics through incredible content creators online. That said, online entertainment can become very addictive, and people need to recognize when they are overconsuming. Parents have an important role to play when it comes to moderating their children’s screen time. I also think parents need to be heavily involved in the content their child is watching. There is content out there that is not appropriate for certain age groups, and that is on the parents to monitor. With the proper support, I think that watching content can be great for entertainment and learning.

Rick: When kids ask you about what it’s like to be a social media personality, what do you say?

Gabe: I say, “The good days are great, but the bad days are incredibly hard.” When content creation is going well, man, it can be incredibly fun and rewarding. But when you have a creative block or when posts aren’t performing well, it can be a challenge. I also tell my students it is easy to go viral one or two times, but making content creation a full-time job is not easy. They are often shocked to hear how time-consuming it is and how much work is required.

Rick: For those teachers who feel like they’re not being heard, any advice to share?

Gabe: If you are brave enough to use your voice on the internet, go for it. If you are not comfortable with that, you can still make your voice heard in other ways. Contact people at your school or even your local politicians and let them know how you feel. I have found that if you speak on a topic with confidence, others usually listen.