69´«Ã½

Teaching Profession

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

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

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

The and 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 was helping teachers form connections¡ªand laugh lines¡ªwith 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.

I don¡¯t know sweetie. If you got your phone, ask Siri! ?
Anyone else triggered by the words ¡°Data Driven Instruction?¡± ???¡â?? @followmrs.friend

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.

your weekly dose of teacher outfit inspo ? 4.5 days left until break!! CRAZY ???
Is it too late to join the teachers fashion trends?

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.

Hot take: the litter boxes in schools rumor was fabricated to derail the lack of humanity at the core of this debate
Parents, please make sure you know who is teaching your children b/c the ¡°solutions¡± are concerning.

Encouragement

°Â±ð¡¯±¹±ð 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.

Might have to start making these every friday for the rest of the year
Have a great week yall!

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.

Replying to @x50shadesoftrey mindset: how can we give them reasons to be engaged? EXTREME OWNERSHIP.
I think I am obsessed with trying new classroom management strategies ???

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.

@nikkinesladek Did you just get me fired?
Words of affirmation because we all should be reminded! We look good. ??

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.

I will be posting more argumentative resources this week!
Hope this is helpful ??
Definitely helps

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
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
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
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

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

Read Next

Teaching Profession Opinion Teacher Contracts Need to Change. And It¡¯s Not Just About Money
If we want to retain effective teaches, we should increase teacher compensation¡ªbut we need to do it strategically.
Karen Hawley Miles & David Rosenberg
4 min read
Final Piece Of The Puzzle. Two people about to shake hands over trading a jigsaw puzzle piece needed for the solution.
iStock/Getty Images + Education Week
Teaching Profession The State of Teaching Teachers Say the Public Views Them Negatively
The perception coincides with teachers' low levels of job satisfaction.
2 min read
survey teachers static
via Canva
Teaching Profession Download Play Teacher TV Bingo and Spot All the Teacher Tropes
It's trope bingo; spot the common (and often annoying) mischaracterizations.
Image of bingo cards, a remote control, and a television.
via Canva
Teaching Profession Fictional Teachers on TV Can Skew Public Perception
Media tropes about teachers can give incoming educators and the public unrealistic expectations about the profession.
5 min read
Chris Perfetti, Lisa Ann Walter, Quinta Brunson, and Tyler James Williams play teachers on the ABC sitcom ¡°Abbott Elementary.¡± Teachers say the show resonates with their experience.
Chris Perfetti, Lisa Ann Walter, Quinta Brunson, and Tyler James Williams play teachers on the ABC sitcom ¡°Abbott Elementary.¡± Teachers say the show resonates with their experience, but researchers say many other portrayals of teachers are flawed.
Gilles Mingasson/ABC