Tiktok teacher’s intention

The Tiktok video of the teacher in Cebu City who scolded her students for cheating should remind everyone that we should start with the right and sincere intention in everything we do.

What was the TikTok teacher's objective in the alleged cheating of her students? If the goal is to correct her students, then she deserves appreciation.

But if she intends to increase the number of viewers of her TikTok account, then we cannot blame the netizens for their condemnation.

One side of the mind may tell us that she was just concerned about the dangerous effect of cheating. Every teacher worth his or her salt must not tolerate cheating or give any hint of tolerance for it. One may think that she was just driven by righteous indignation.

Teachers are not called second parents for nothing. They are our role models whose teachings are sometimes too ingrained that we feel ashamed of ourselves when we do something different from their excellent advice.

We can see the sense of pride in their eyes as we climb the ladder of success and the suppressed sadness when they know we are “defeated”.

Sadly, however, what could have been seen as the natural anger of a teacher towards students she thought cheated was tainted by the fact that she mentioned their names on Tiktok for the whole wide world to know. The kind of embarrassment or trauma she caused them will remain with the latter for a long time.

By her actions it is difficult to believe that she was completely sincere. She made them her props in her Tiktok video. She recorded the incident, and it went viral. That alone is enough to cast doubt on her sincerity.

She could have resorted to other methods instead of having a video recording of it. She could have called the attention of the two students in private and let them explain their side. But that is water under the bridge now.

The inevitable questions are: What do some Tiktokers sacrifice for the sake of content or the video material they can upload to widen their viewership? What level could they descend to for the sake of monetization?

Time and again, the controversy of the Tiktok teacher should be a reminder for everyone, not just teachers, that there is a limit to our use of social media, particularly Tiktok.

Teachers should use technology to improve the learning environment. Unfortunately, if said technology is wrongly used it may destroy lives.

On many occasions, I have expressed and will continue to express my deep sense of gratitude toward our teachers. Some observe that these days are not the best time to be a teacher. The cultural shift is simply shocking. Students need to be more open and respectful of their teachers. I’m not sure, but this may be attributed partly to the fact that teachers have less power in disciplining the students. I bet, however, it’s more complex than that. Therefore, we must be glad that some still choose the teaching profession.