How to Become a TEFL YouTube Star with Jamie Gajewski

So, you’re trying to broaden your world as a TEFL teacher. Whether you’re teaching online or in a classroom, chances are you’ve already had some pretty amazing experiences. 

Not everybody travels abroad, let alone lives or works there. Alternatively, not everyone can say they’ve gone “Nope! Enough of this!” and changed careers. Joining the world of TEFL is just interesting. It just is, in and of itself.

Little wonder, then, that so many TEFL teachers want to tell stories and give advice. There are plenty of teachers who make excellent YouTube personalities, and it makes sense. Teaching boosts your communication skills, you can adapt your presentation style to different audiences and you’re well-organised. All of those traits are major advantages.

To find out more, we asked Jamie Gajewski, also known as ESL Teacher 365 , to tell us all about being a teacher on YouTube. For the full conversation in audio, check out our episode of ‘I Taught English Abroad’ with Jamie, titled ‘Revolution, ghosts and ballet: one teacher’s scarcely believable career’. Check out our podcast here ! 

TEFL and YouTube: a perfect platform

Though being a teacher and YouTube star simultaneously might seem niche, Jamie reckons it’s something every educator can do. In fact, it’s something she thinks they should do. As Jamie explains:

“I really think that every teacher should start a YouTube channel. It's an excellent way to share what you're doing in your classroom. It's really nice to learn from other people's mistakes and see what ideas they have. It's as simple as using your cell phone these days. 

“Before YouTube, maybe seemed a bit intimidating. But these days it's really easy to just share what's going on or share some of your ideas or your point of view on teaching. I think it's really helpful for teachers, even as a side hustle, especially with all of the pay issues. 

“Starting a blog or starting a YouTube channel can be a great side business. And I think that as teachers, we are very giving people. So I like to share as much of my experience as I can to help people not make the same mistakes that I did.”

Collaboration and building a community

A major advantage of sharing your experiences on YouTube? You can build a community. You don’t know who’s watching when you upload your first TEFL videos. Your initial audience might end up being some lifelong friends, that colleague who tells you about your next job, or the person who inspires you to take a different path within English teaching.

When it comes to collaboration, you might’ve thought YouTube was competitive - certainly, the world of TEFL can be, especially in areas where jobs are at a premium. However, we’re told that’s very much not the case, which is great news if you want to establish a voice online.

We asked Jamie what the collaborative spirit was like on YouTube:

“Everyone that I've ever asked to collaborate with has said yes.

“I think we are very open to sharing and there's just a mentality that if I work with someone else and do a collaboration, we're both going to grow and we're both going to have more contact with each other's audiences. So I think that that's a great community feel on YouTube. 

“As far as teaching in other countries, I've experienced both where teachers can be very closed and maybe they don't share their activities with each other because there is competition. In other countries, you just share everything that you have. Maybe the whole school has a drive of activities that anyone can use. But I feel like on YouTube, there are a lot of very giving teachers on there.”

Jamie’s biggest tip? Find a niche!

So what’s the best thing a TEFL teacher can do to find an audience online? Surely, it’s about being as general as possible and casting a big net, right?

Well… no, actually. Much like how finding a TEFL niche can be the making of a teaching career, focusing on a niche can actually bring in a bigger and more enthusiastic audience. It’s why we offer advanced TEFL courses ; there are loads of opportunities for TEFL teaching in very specific areas, like Business English , Teaching Young Learners or Teaching Online . 

Jamie explains to us that she originally started her online exploits through blogging, but learned some important lessons on the fly; chiefly that the more you drill in on a subject, the better a response you’re going to get.

Jamie said: “I actually started out wanting to target people learning English. 

“My blog was originally for people preparing for the Cambridge exam . My YouTube channel was for people learning English, but I later decided when I was working with a YouTube coach that I did want to target teaching abroad and teaching online instead because that's where I'm very, very passionate. 

“Maybe later I will start another channel to target learners, but for now, that's the niche that I've chosen. But if you are a teacher and you want to reach people who are learning English or a different subject, if you teach something else, I would say get as specific as possible. 

“So instead of saying “I help people learn English”, try “I help people learn hospitality English or Business English for Japanese speakers”. The more specific you can get, the better it's going to be, and the more likely you are to draw in that ideal person that you want to teach or that you want to help. So that's definitely my biggest tip.”

Why not start your TEFL YouTube adventure today?

Nowadays, it couldn’t be easier to get started on YouTube. You can create a new channel in seconds, and in terms of equipment, it’s cheaper than ever before. All you need is a quality microphone, headphones, camera, some good lighting and editing software.

The advantages are clear. For a TEFL teacher, especially one who works online, your reputation will see an enormous boost if you’re successful on YouTube. Clients who are impressed by your presentation skills, charisma and voice are going to want to hire you, and schools who want big personalities in the classroom will also be keenly impressed. Monetising your YouTube channel can also mean a steady flow of income, especially if you upload regularly - never a bad thing!

What’s more, it’s a fantastic way to network. Yes, putting yourself out there can be scary, but you’d be joining the ranks of thousands of other TEFL teachers who’ve uploaded a lesson or some advice to YouTube. You can engage and collaborate with other TEFL creators on YouTube and before long, build a network of amazing contacts.

If you have creative flair, the means and the time, adding YouTube to your working life could be the thing that supercharges your TEFL career! 

Listen to our podcast, ' I Taught English Abroad ' for our full chat with Jamie, and find out more about her on ESL Teacher 365 .