If you’re not already following Nathan Anderson on TikTok, you should be!
This second-generation agriculture educator (@mnagteacher) from Watertown, MN is quickly becoming a TikTok teacher star, with 191.2K followers and 7.4 million likes.
His motivation for turning to the popular video-sharing social media platform? Increase student engagement in agriculture.
“My wife had TikTok, and I thought it was pretty silly,” Nathan shared. “Then the pandemic happened, and I was looking for ways to keep my students engaged. I started making videos and it snowballed.”
Since he started posting in spring 2020, his followers – and enrollment in his agriculture classes – has continued to increase.
“It gets so many kids in the door,” said Nathan, who posts about everything from teacher life to instructional videos, like how to build a fishing rod or how to palpate a cow:
As Nathan stated, “If students don’t sign up for my classes, I don’t have a job.”
Recruitment is key
Nathan knew he wanted to be a teacher when he was a senior in high school and embarked on the necessary education as soon as he graduated. Now in his third year of teaching agriculture at Watertown-Mayer High School in Watertown, MN, Nathan teaches a variety of courses, including animal science, plant science and outdoor adventures. Because agriculture is an elective program at the school, student interest is essential.
That’s why Nathan sought Perkins funding in 2021 for our Bovine Breeder™ artificial insemination simulator. He was looking for a way to give students hands-on practice without having access to a real cow. Now he uses Realityworks’ Bovine Breeder and Swine Breeder™ artificial insemination simulator in his animal science classes to give students realistic experience before their regularly scheduled trip to a local dairy farm to work with live animals — and their presence is proving popular on social media:
“My videos showing Realityworks’ products are my highest-performing videos ever,” said Nathan.
Meet your new learning aids
Introducing students to the simulators was a unique experience, according to Nathan:
“I tend to get the kids that don’t excel so well in subjects like math and English, so the hands-on learning makes my classes so much more engaging for everyone, especially those kids – they can really fly high,” said Nathan.
With regard to his new artificial insemination simulators, Nathan appreciates both the engaging classroom learning opportunities and ease of implementation.
“The curriculum helps a lot as well,” he stated. “It teaches all the stuff I would have had to compile anyway, and it’s all there, ready to use.”
When asked if he had any advice for teachers looking for creative ways to increase student engagement, Nathan told us:
“Hands-on learning brings so much value,” he said. “I can sit here and talk about the reproductive tracts and anatomy and whatnot, and the kids can maybe get it, but when they actually get to see it and get their hands on it, it brings a whole new level of education to the experience. You can tell when a kid is not understanding a concept. When I see that lightbulb on, that’s when I know it’s worked.”
Nathan’s Tips for TikTok Teacher Success
- Don’t show students’ faces or share their names to ensure their privacy is protected. In Nathan’s case, he films all videos either before or after school to avoid students.
- Coordinate with your administrators to share your school name, logo and other identifiers, or avoid it if needed.
- Post consistently, ideally daily. Nathan has learned that the more you post, the more engagement you’ll get.
- Make several videos at once to save time. Nathan told us he sometimes makes 10 videos at a time.
- Feature fun props, like hands-on learning aids, in your videos whenever possible.
Follow Nathan on TikTok @mnagteacher
Resources for learning more
- These resources are a great place to start if you’re looking to revitalize your own animal science program
- If you’re seeking additional program inspiration, these educators are also getting creative in their agriculture classrooms
- These on-demand webinars address a variety of agriculture program topics, from student engagement and classroom management to career exploration and skill development
