Teacher's Day: Delhi’s insta-cool professors teach how to be pop-culture coded

On Teachers’ Day today, meet the cool gurus who have taken their lessons to social media. Here’s their pro-tip on pop culture and creating content that clicks.

Vijender Chauhan, Associate Professor, Department Of Hindi, Delhi University.

One of the most popular teachers-turned-content creators, Vijender Chauhan, Associate Professor, Department Of Hindi, Delhi University creates varied content, from UPSC Civil Services preparation, public speaking and critical thinking to occasionally documenting his travels. He is also an interviewer and has posted videos featuring conversations with the cast of various OTT shows. Here’s what he suggests:

Do not undermine the intelligence of your viewers: Don’t assume that since you have a camera, you have become wiser, intelligent or more informed. Make sure you keep learning, because your followers are smart and can read through any bluff.

With great power comes great responsibility: Once there are numbers following you, you have attention but it has to be used responsibly. There are creators who use this influence to drive personal agendas and narratives. Avoid this.

Create only what you enjoy: Algorithmic perception corrupts your niche, so don’t start doing things you don’t like or are not capable of.

Taruna Tokas, an Assistant Professor in the Department Of Commerce at Delhi University

From aesthetic campus reels to sharing Netflix recommendations for teachers, Taruna Tokas, an Assistant Professor in the Department Of Commerce at Delhi University does it all on her Instagram page, Textsubtext. She also shares tips for aspiring teachers, including the skills they should hone to succeed in the profession. Here are her takeaways:

Turn your content into a dialogue, not a monologue: Give your audience room to engage with you, so they aren’t just consuming your content; they’re entering a conversation. Ask real questions, host Q&As, and create posts that make people want to reach out and say, ‘I feel so seen by this’.

Include the vulnerabilities: Don’t just glamorise the wins or the successful moments. Show up with your real, unfiltered experiences, the hard days, the doubts, and the learning curve.

Sonal Chauhan, Assistant Professor, Department Of English, Delhi University

Sonal Chauhan, Assistant Professor, Department Of English, Delhi University is fond of making ‘a day in my life’ themed videos on her page on Instagram, Praso Literature. She also posts videos from her day to day life with her partner as well as videos of her prepping for her PhD, giving a more personal touch to her content. Her tips:

Pay back: If an idea has brought you joy or been of value to you, try to transform it into content that helps pass it on, the way it was once passed on to you.

Stay authentic: Show your work! You don’t have to chase trends. It’s alright to pave new paths.

Always keep learning: Never stop learning the technical stuff. A little curiosity for editing, new features on the platform, colour grading and camera placement can help you convey your idea better.