Last week, my daughter Daniela called me from college. "Mom, you should totally start a Teacher TikTok! Mrs. Rodriguez from my old high school has like 50K followers and she's making money selling lesson plans!"

I almost choked on my cafecito. Me? Dancing in my classroom at 6:30 AM while explaining long division? Ay, por favor.

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against Teacher TikTok. Some of those educators are incredibly creative, and I've learned a few tricks from watching their videos. But after 22 years in the classroom, I've realized something important: not every teacher needs to be a content creator, and that's absolutely fine.

The Pressure to Perform

Here's what nobody talks about when they're encouraging teachers to "build their brand" online. Teaching is already a performance. Every single day.

We're on stage from 7:45 AM until 3:15 PM. We're motivating, entertaining, redirecting, inspiring, and problem-solving in real time. By the time I get home, Carlos finds me collapsed on the couch, completely drained from giving my all to 28 fourth-graders.

The idea of then setting up a ring light to film myself explaining anchor charts? Honestly, it makes me tired just thinking about it.

I tried it once, back in 2019. I spent three hours on a Sunday afternoon filming myself demonstrating a fraction activity. Three hours! That's time I could have spent grading papers, meal prepping, or (revolutionary thought) actually relaxing.

The video got 47 views. My student Jamie's mom could have explained fractions to more people at the grocery store.

What We Lose When Everything Becomes Content

Here's something that's been bothering me about the Teacher TikTok trend. When we're constantly thinking about what will make good content, we start performing our teaching instead of just... teaching.

Last month, I had this beautiful moment with Sofia, one of my struggling readers. She'd been working on a particularly tough passage, and suddenly everything clicked. Her face just lit up. "Mrs. Santos! I get it! I actually get it!"

In that moment, my first instinct wasn't to grab my phone. It was to celebrate with her, to call her mom, to document her progress in my gradebook. It was pure, unfiltered teaching joy.

But I've noticed some of my younger colleagues seem to experience these moments differently now. There's this immediate thought of "Oh, this would make great content!" And I wonder, does that change the moment somehow?

The Authenticity Problem

Let's be real about something else. The classroom moments that make great TikTok content aren't always the most important teaching moments.

The viral videos show the fun stuff. The creative bulletin boards, the elaborate theme days, the kids having dance parties. And that's wonderful! But it's not the whole picture.

You know what doesn't make good TikTok content? The 45 minutes I spent last Tuesday helping Marcus work through his anxiety about the upcoming FAST test. The careful conversation I had with Destiny's grandmother about her attendance issues. The way I quietly modified Ana's assignment so she could succeed without feeling singled out.

These moments are the heart of teaching, pero they're not exactly social media gold.

Finding Your Own Way to Share

Now, before you think I'm completely anti-technology, let me clarify. I'm not against teachers sharing their expertise or building communities online. I write this blog, after all!

But there are so many ways to contribute to the teaching community that don't involve dancing or trending sounds or whatever the algorithm demands this week.

Maybe you're the teacher who writes detailed lesson plans that you share on Teachers Pay Teachers. Maybe you're the one who mentors new teachers in your building. Maybe you run a book club for educators or organize supply drives for Title I schools.

I've found my niche here, writing these posts for Florida teachers who are dealing with the same challenges I face every day. No ring light required.

The Time Factor (Let's Be Honest)

Can we talk about time for a minute? Because this is the elephant in the room.

Creating good social media content takes time. A lot of time. You need to plan it, film it, edit it, write captions, respond to comments, and keep up with trends.

I barely have time to return parent emails and update my gradebook. When exactly am I supposed to fit in content creation?

My friend Carmen started a Teacher TikTok account last year. She's incredibly talented and her videos are genuinely helpful. But she's also staying up until midnight editing videos and stressed about posting consistently. She told me last week that she's starting to resent it.

"I became a teacher to teach kids," she said. "Not to be an influencer."

That hit hard because it's so true.

What Really Matters

At the end of the day, the measure of a good teacher isn't followers or likes or viral videos. It's whether our students are learning and growing and feeling supported.

Yesterday, I got a letter from Isabella, a student I taught three years ago. She's in seventh grade now, and she wanted to tell me that she still uses the math strategies I taught her. She said I made her believe she was smart.

That letter is worth more to me than a million TikTok views.

Permission to Opt Out

So here's what I want to say to my fellow teachers who feel pressured to join every new platform, create content, and build their "teacher brand" online:

You have permission to opt out.

You have permission to focus your energy on the kids in front of you instead of the camera.

You have permission to keep your best teaching moments private and sacred.

You have permission to contribute to the teaching community in whatever way feels authentic to you.

Whether that's through social media, mentoring, writing, organizing, or simply being the best teacher you can be in your own classroom, it all matters.

We need teachers who are TikTok stars, and we need teachers who've never posted a video in their lives. There's room for all of us in this profession.

The most important audience for your teaching isn't online. It's sitting in those desks every morning, ready to learn from you.

And trust me, they don't care if you know the latest dance trend. They just care that you care about them.

Keep doing what you're doing, teachers. Camera or no camera, you're making a difference.