#Teachers of TikTok: The Power of Social Media

• In Event: Education and the Media

Abstract

This study examines the interaction between pre-service teachers and social media; specifically, Tik Tok. The hashtag, Teachers of TikTok, currently has 4.6 million posts attached to it with the top video having more than 68 million views. With that in mind, this paper will share the ways in which pre-service teachers are interacting with TikTok, seeking to understand what themes are pervasive in #TeachersOfTikTok videos, how and if pre-service teachers are critically questioning the messaging, and what impact these videos might have on the beliefs, attitudes, and understandings of the work of teaching. The findings make clear that social media portrayals of teachers and the classroom run the risk of doing real harm.

Authors

• Danielle Ligocki, Oakland Univeristy

• Martha A Wilkins, Lewis University