"I always knew I wanted to teach math, and I gravitated toward sixth grade, where students develop the time management and accountability skills that they'll use for the rest of their lives. Back in 2019, I noticed in the fall that my students were laughing at their phones and dancing around their desks. I thought, "What are ya'll doing?" By January, I had a TikTok account and was making videos with my own three kids, who are now 11, 13, and 16."
"When our district switched to remote learning, most of my formal class time with my students was focused on making sure they were doing OK. I still wanted to teach them, so I started making fun, math-focused TikTok videos. At first, I posted the videos quietly. I was curious if I would show up in my students' pages organically. Sure enough, a student asked, "Why are you on my 'for me' page?" From there, it spread quickly. Today, I have 1.3 million followers on TikTok."
"That's made me a bit of a local celebrity in my Texas school district. Recently, kids were watching YouTube in another class when they came across a TikTok commercial featuring me. They came running down the hall to tell me. It's fun for students and parents to have "The Mrs. Kelly" live in their classroom. My class has the same fun, energetic vibe that I bring to social media."
Deidre Kelly has taught sixth-grade math for 14 years and is a mother of three. She created a TikTok account in January 2020 after noticing students' interest in the platform. During remote learning the district shifted to, she began producing fun, math-focused videos to teach and keep students engaged while checking on their well-being. Her videos spread organically to students' feeds, leading to 1.3 million TikTok followers and recognition within her Texas district. Students and parents enjoy her energetic classroom presence that mirrors her social media persona, though students eventually understand she maintains classroom expectations beyond the fun.
Read at Business Insider
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