TikTok teacher shows the best of educators, meeting students on their ground

Teaching is a noble profession, but we’re also fully aware that teachers are often asked to be more than scholars who pass along their knowledge to the next generation.

They’re called upon to be coaches, role models, sometimes fill-in parents, protectors among so many other things — on top of teaching.

We’re also fully aware that sometimes the traditional teaching models don’t work for school children the way they used to. So teachers adapt.

One such teacher, Kraig Westhoff, who teaches social studies in Roseville, is using the platform TikTok to get people excited about social studies.

The Topeka Capital-Journal’s Rafael Garcia reports Westhoff has gained notoriety for his TikTok posts about the origins of Kansas county names.

“I sat there and thought, ‘I could do this,’” the teacher said. “I could make these videos, and I could make them about what I was teaching.”

His educational TikTok videos are popular. They’re also short. And you come away from them learning something new about the social sciences.

We love this creativity. It’s certainly innovative. It’s also brilliantly meeting students where they are at. Though Westhoff jokingly denies he has an account to his students.

“They know I have (a TikTok), but I just keep denying it because it’s something I have to do to keep me entertained,” Westhoff told The Capital-Journal. “Just the fact that these kids are watching it and getting on, they’re seeing me in a different light. They’re seeing that other people are also watching these videos, and they know I know my stuff.”

Kudos to Mr. Westhoff on a job well done. We know there are plenty of others across our state who have also put their creativity into teaching students. Please keep up the good work.

We know the past few years have been especially hard on teachers trying to creatively reach students.

Now that we’ve reached summer vacation, we hope you find an opportunity to recharge and relax. Refresh and relearn.

Whatever you’re doing, we hope it helps you be the best version of yourselves come August. Because it will be here before you know it.

And maybe take some inspiration from the TikTok teacher.