Teaching and Tik Tok

Teaching and TikTok

Ruya Yaman

English teacher Emily van Sebille has recently gained a lot of attention on TikTok, creating a new way for her to bond with students as well as other teachers on the app. Initially intended for documenting the struggles of being a teacher during a pandemic, van Sebille’s TikTok quickly blew up, leading to her students discovery of the account.

“My video made its way to everybody,” van Sebille said. “On TikTok it has a certain amount of shares, but then a Bay Area meme page took it, and then it went viral on the meme page, so it has a life of its own now that is far beyond me.”

Students appreciate the popularity associated with van Sebille’s TikToks.

“I think it’s awesome, and not awkward at all to see her on the app because it’s a great way for her to connect with us,” said Mark Castro, a junior and one of van Sebille’s students.

Even though van Sebille’s TikToks are on the more humorous side, she still maintains professionalism on the app and in class.

“She has kept TikTok separate from her teaching,” said Arcelia Duran, a junior in her class. “It’s a very rare conversation and is only really brought up if a student mentions it.”

Through the distinction she creates between social media and the classroom, van Sebille is able to continue doing what she loves while documenting it through her TikTok account, all while keeping boundaries and maintaining professionalism.

Although a majority of her comments are from teachers of the Bay Area and beyond, there have been a couple of instances where students comment on her TikToks, to which she usually will reply.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with students interacting with her TikToks as long as it’s appropriate,” said Duran.

However, van Sebille has made the point in her replies that it is essential to stay respectful and kind during online interactions.

“In class, I made a joke about my weird little 15 minutes of fame, and I told them that you really can’t take back what you post on the internet, and people are really mean,” van Sebille said. “So just be nice to people.”

Van Sebille noted that she has not had many negative experiences on the app - her students and followers have been very supportive overall. However, there are a few small regrets she has had along the way. “If I were to redo it, I’d have a personal and a professional [account],” van Sebille said. “I feel like teaching is one of the only professions where you’re held to a really high moral standard because teachers are supposed to be these upstanding role models, and I think it’s hard when you have to see them as real people.” Van Sebille stated that although this online transparency was stressful and even frightening at first, the pros quickly outweighed the cons. “It’s nice to be able to have this (...) community where we’re all learning a new system of teaching, whether you’re doing in-person with the masks or hybrid or distance learning. I’ve learned a lot about how to utilize Canvas better and such from other teachers, so I’m learning, in a professional sense, from this community that I have created online,” she said.

Scan the QR code to visit van Sebille’s TikTok page!