To be or not to be an influencer teacher?

Gabriel Dumouchel believes that the phenomenon of teacher influencers can have very positive impacts on the promotion of the profession. Feedback on his conference at the Digital Education Summit.

During the Digital Education Summit, Gabriel Dumouchel, lecturer in education at theUQAC et al'UQO, speaker and consultant, presented a short conference on the phenomenon of influencers and the interest for education to appropriate this mode of communication which young people love. Indeed, as he points out at the outset, this is the new way of reaching this clientele, which no longer really consumes radio or television.

If some very well-known “influencers” allow themselves to talk about education, it remains that it is particularly important to leave a space for “real” teachers, that is to say those who can really bear witness to the reality of today's classrooms. hui.

As a lecturer at UQO and UQAC, Gabriel Dumouchel makes a point of talking about this phenomenon to his students in educational technology. And he realizes that most of them know and follow certain “influencers” in education, such as Marydotcom (whom we have already met), Madame Valérie (whom we have also met!), Jay Belzile or Jonathan the Prof.

He highlights four approaches generally adopted by influencer teachers:

• Collaborative approach : to share ways of doing things between teachers.
• Activist approach : to defend a cause or raise awareness (eg Jonathan the Prof raises awareness of environmental protection).
• Entrepreneurial approach : to sell products (eg “3 girls and teaching differently” have a line of clothing and planning notebooks).
• Humorous approach : to share, for example, answers to funny exercises that they found in their students.

He noted different positive opportunities of this communication format:

1. Reach hyperconnected learners
   • Valuation of students, of the profession, take advantage of the viral effect that can be created through the students.
2. Promoting the teaching profession
   • Via traditional media: for example, La Presse spoke about Jonathan Le Prof and he was a guest on the TV show 2 golden men, and it was not to talk about problems in education.
   • Yourself via social media: the format offers, for example, the possibility of asking questions about teaching to real teachers.
3. Share professional experience. Example of YouTuber themes:
   • 1 week in my life as a teacher
   • Tour of my class
   • Take care of me
4. Share its content and / or its approaches
5. Support future teachers
   • Ex. 7 internship tips
6. Support university teachers
   • Make a link between what is really happening in class
7. Support professional integration. Examples of themes from YouTubers:
   • Tips and advice for locum teaching
   • First contract
   • Survive early in your career
8. Sell promote educational material, merchandise or content
9. Passing on the knowledge of scientific research

There are, however, challenges, such as:

• Work overload : indeed, it is not easy to reconcile YouTube and education or private life. It takes time and it is not given to everyone.
• Digital identity of students: we must ensure that it is respected at all times.
• Review: one is effectively exposed to criticism.
• Professional Ethics : sale of educational material, sponsored content, freedom of expression.
• Teacher dropout (when it works too well, try to pick up?)

In closing, it invites a professional reflection before the big opinion “influencers” of the traditional media do it! Moreover, he gives himself the challenge of becoming an “influencer” and supporting teachers who wish to follow this path.