• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Advertising
  • Write for Us
  • Job Board
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Consulting
    • Advertising
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Shirts

The Educators Room logo

  • Start Here
    • Impact Statements: Teacher Expertise
    • Newsletter
  • Browse Topics
    • Content Strategies
      • Literacy
      • Mathematics
      • Social Studies
      • Educational Technology
      • ELL & ESOL
      • Fine Arts
      • Special Education
      • Popular Topics
        • Teacher Self-Care
        • Instructional Coach Files
        • Common Core
        • The Traveling Teacher
        • The Unemployed Teacher
        • The New Teacher Chronicles
        • Book Review
        • Grade Levels
          • Elementary (K-5)
          • Middle (6-8)
          • Adult
          • New Teacher Bootcamp
          • Hot Button Topics
            • Menu Item
              • Principals' Corner
              • Charter Schools
              • Confessions of a Teacher
              • Interviews
              • The State of Education
              • Stellar Educator of the Week
            • Menu
              • How to Fix Education
              • Featured
              • Ask a Teacher
              • Teacher Branding
              • Current Events
  • Podcasts
  • Courses
    • Practicing Self-Care to Avoid Teacher Burnout- An 8 Week Course
    • Becoming An Educational Consultant
    • Teacher Branding 101:Teachers are The Experts
    • The Learning Academy
    • Books
    • Shirts
  • Education in Atlanta
  • Teacher Self-Care
  • The Coach's Academy
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Advertising
  • Write for Us
  • Job Board
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Consulting
    • Advertising
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Shirts
×

September 4, 2019 Featured

Opinion: Don’t Blindly Follow Edu-Celebrities

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About Educator Barnes

Educator Barnes is a middle school dean and adjunct college professor. Previously, she served as an elementary library/media specialist, an elementary and high school literacy coach, a middle and high school English/Language Arts teacher, and a K-5 English as a New Language teacher. Shawnta is an education writer and editor for Indy K12, a publication under the Citizen Education network. She is also the winner of the 2019 Indiana Black Expo Excellence in Education Journalism Award.
  • Five Ways to Brighten the School Day - September 24, 2019
  • Opinion: Don’t Blindly Follow Edu-Celebrities - September 4, 2019
  • Veteran Teachers Need Choice & Customized Professional Development - August 3, 2019
  • Five Gems of Knowledge I Learned at the Annual Teacher Self-Care Conference - June 27, 2019
  • Copyright Violations in the Classroom: When Beg, Borrow, and Steal Turns into a Crime - May 29, 2019
  • Silent Compliance, not Honesty is Wanted in Education - March 7, 2019
  • Why School Father & Daughter Dances are Antiquated - February 10, 2019
  • Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Should Not Be an Inclement Weather Makeup Day - January 14, 2019
  • Teacher Attendance Does Matter, but I Still Unapologetically Take Days Off at My School - December 21, 2018
  • It’s the Most Stressful Time of the Year- A Teacher's Edition - December 19, 2018

In each profession, there are people who rise to high visibility and prominence. There is an aspect of these people’s personalities and abilities that captivate others. The more people are captivated, the more they continue to rise...but should they? They say fake it until you make it, and some are still faking it, taking others along for the ride. Before you get lured away by Edu-celebrities’ charm, make sure you aren’t getting fooled.

Social media has allowed educators to connect with each other. If you are on Instagram, just type in #TeachersofInstagram, and you will see teacher after teacher in your feed portraying educational excellence. When you peel away the filters and the color-coordinated themed classrooms, are they really offering you any tips of value? I assert some are not. Their sole purpose is to have a hardcore side hustle. Look, I’m not mad; collect your coins, but don’t sell easy fixes or an illusion of guidance that you really don’t have.

I have a small presence online. One time, an educator came across me in real life, and said, “I heard you can actually teach.” I responded, “Excuse me?” The educator went on to say that some educators with huge followings that share small clips of them appearing to be excellent educators are essentially frauds, and could not even teach even with a scripted curriculum.

When teachers are posting online, you are only seeing the final polished product. You are not seeing the outtakes. Don’t ask some of them to elaborate on the snippet of a practice they shared. Instead of receiving an actual answer, they will send you positive vibes and a link to their Teachers Pay Teachers store.

What’s worse is some of these uplifting educators' actions online don’t match their actions in person. I’ve been at conferences with Edu-celebrities that speak poorly about students in person. Don’t try to have a conversation with them about anything meaningful because they will need to get a well-lighted photo for their social media feed first.

Instead of doing research, teachers are out here blindly implementing stuff and failing. I went to a workshop about being culturally responsive where a teacher was in tears because she saw a lot of teachers doing fancy handshakes with students when they entered the classroom, but when she tried, it didn’t work. Building strong relationships with students has to be the foundation. Quick fixes from social media won’t always work.

However, I am asking you to do a gut check. Is that teacher really bringing value to your life as an educator? Click To Tweet

No, I’m not suggesting that you unfollow your favorite famous teacher. However, I am asking you to do a gut check. Is that teacher really bringing value to your life as an educator? Will they have a conversation with you without trying to sell you products? If you are starting to feel unsure, maybe look around your school and find a teacher you see every day in real life to follow.

Sneakers on asphalt road with white star

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailKeep Digital Devices in the Hands of Youngsters Default ThumbnailWhy Schools Should Teach Social Media Etiquette 8 Social Media Must-Follows for English Language Arts Teachers Educational Duct TapeJake Miller Interviews (A Different) Jake Miller Re: Online Learning
« Job Requirements are Changing. How Can Parents and Students Adapt?
Close Encounters of the Parent-Teacher Kind »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. James says

    September 07, 2019 at 9:48 am

    I wonder if you could comment on how you would differentiate the flashy-but-empty edu-celebs from the more grounded-but-real teachers who are online? You mentioned the teacher who reads/follows the posts doing a gut check, but what criteria would you use to assess the edu-posters themselves? You’ve mentioned being in the classroom... Are there any other criteria? Thanks for your post!

    Reply
  2. Etomia Wilson says

    November 30, 2019 at 1:25 am

    Thanks for your thoughtful blog. You have made some great points. I disagree with the 'follow your gut' idea. We should be using evidence based research and have a pedagogical basis for whatever we implement in our classes. I use meta data studies and evidence based practices then adapt everything to suit my learners' needs. If it is not researched and based on evidence I do not use it.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

The Educator's Room was launched in 2012 to amplify the voice of educators. To date, we have over 45+ writers from around the world and boast over twelve million page views. Through articles, events, and social media we will advocate for honest dialogue with teachers about how to improve public education. This mission is especially important when reporting on education in our community; therefore, we commit our readers to integrity, accuracy, and independence in education reporting. To join our mailing list, click here.

What we do

At The Educator's Room, we focus on amplifying and honoring the voice of educators as experts in education. To date, we have over 40 staff writers/teachers from around the world.

Popular Posts

  • "Let's Make This Happen": Following Student Interests to Interest-Based Mentorships
  • Want to Keep Special Education Teachers? Try Mentorship
  • An Idaho teen who won his school board election has a message for educators
  • Moving Beyond Diversity to Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: Lessons from a Sunday Sermon

Featured On

Buy Our Books/Courses

How to Leave Your Job in Education

Practicing Self-Care to Avoid Teacher Burnout

Using Your Teacher Expertise to Become an Educational Consultant

Check out our books on teaching and learning!

The Learning Academy

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Services
  • Media Kit
  • FAQ

 

Copyright © 2021 The Educator's Room.