Inspired by the accounts of other teachers, Miss M started her page during the 2016 Christmas school holidays to share her ideas for activities and other fun things to do in the classroom. Since then she has amassed an international following.
“My following grew quite quickly and I had 2000 followers by April 2016; after a year I had 5000,” said Miss M.
“My followers are mainly from Australia but I also have followers internationally in places such as the UK, Canada, USA and South Africa.”
Since starting her page, Miss M has found it allows her to connect with other educators from across the diocese.
“It’s always lovely to hear someone say that they like my work and I’ve also communicated with people who I wouldn’t have otherwise and even connected with teachers in our diocese who I hadn’t met previously.
“I can be quiet at times and this gives me an outlet to share my ideas without putting myself in the spotlight. I find at times that Miss M is wiser than me and that I even could use some of the advice shared on the page.”
For others thinking about taking a step into the online world, Miss M has a few tips and tricks for growing an audience.
“Be relatable but keep it professional; a friend who works in the media told me that photos with writing are more successful than photos alone – she wasn’t wrong. Some of my most popular posts have been quotes or anecdotes about #teacherlife. But it’s also really important to keep it professional and not overshare. My tip is, if it’s something you wouldn’t tell a parent or colleague don’t put it on a public account.
“Choose an original name and post original content; imitation might be the biggest form of flattery but you run the risk of being mistaken for another account.
“Value your privacy; I am a big believer in cyber safety and I am protective of my privacy. I never share my name, school, my students or their uniform. My advice to someone starting a page is to consider if they really want to sacrifice their privacy for Instagram.”
With another Christmas break nearly upon us, Miss M is looking forward to being able to create more resources to share with her followers and maybe even start a blog.
“I have written a few blog posts in the past and if I find something inspiring to write about, I may write more,” said Miss M.
“I will probably create more Teachers Pay Teachers products and I would like to continue making more Catholic themed resources too.
“It’s been really heart-warming to discover that teachers in our diocese have my prayer posters in their sacred space.”