Art teacher Jabez Wellington , from the city of Gaspar, Santa Catarina, transformed his classroom routine into viral content for social media. Inspired by the interactivity and ideas of his students, Wellington integrated humor and technology into his classes, winning over not only students but also a vast online audience. In an interview, he discusses how education adapted to new generations can be more engaging and effective, in addition to reflecting on the responsibility of teaching in the digital age and the importance of art in the integral education of young people.
Professor Jabez , you are currently well known through the production of content you have created with the help of your students on social media. How did the idea of starting to create content for social media inspired by your daily life in the classroom come about?
It’s actually funny, because the idea came from them. I had no idea that there were teachers who produced content for the internet showing their routine or playing games and making teaching more dynamic and fun. Until one day, some students asked me to make a different call, so that they could respond with something other than “present”. They showed me a video of a teacher making the call and the students responding with internet memes. I liked this dynamic and realized that the students liked it too, so I started researching other ideas to do with them in class and discovered a universe full of teachers who produced content with their students in class or showing their routine as a teacher. This served as inspiration for me to also create content at the school I work at, after all, I have always enjoyed recording videos and this world of technology and content production. It was something I found myself in, and a way to make students enjoy being in the room. This brought me closer to them.
We know that especially nowadays, in some cases it has been quite difficult for some teachers to be able to teach in the classroom, especially with this new generation that was born native in the era of new technologies (smartphones). Do you believe that this combination of knowledge and good humor has managed to bring a good return to your teaching method?
For sure! Since I started teaching 10 years ago, I have always had a different mindset than more traditional teachers who had been in this profession for many years. I have always believed that education needs to be transformed and updated, as we have been following the same teaching model for hundreds of years (at least here in Brazil) and this does not make any sense, given that the entire society and the entire world in which we live have evolved and changed completely. Nowadays I still believe that we need change, but today I believe that change will happen with each one of us teachers, each one doing their part, each one transforming a little bit. Within my classes I seek to include everything that is part of the students’ social life in the content and themes that I work on within the content. I think this is still not enough, but it’s what I can do within this system we have (which is outdated). Everything I have done has brought the students closer. And better than that, it has made them see my discipline (art) with different eyes, as I show them how art is present everywhere. Therefore, I think that this combination of knowledge, with technology, humor, dynamics, fun and proximity, has brought excellent results. And it’s incredible to receive feedback from students saying how much they like my classes, how much they admire the way I work, and this feedback also comes from parents and family members. This is amazing.
A concern that has grown a lot in the era of social networks is the issue of privacy of children and adolescents on the internet. What is your opinion regarding these issues and how do recording ideas generally come to students?
I believe that this concern needs to exist, after all we cannot leave children and teenagers at the mercy of the avalanche of information that we have on every virtual network. However, the ideal thing to do, I believe, is to educate and teach people to be responsible in everything they do, especially on the internet. We cannot prohibit children and adolescents from having contact with these technologies, as they were born immersed in a technological world, and I see that there are many possibilities for them in this world, so we have to prepare them for the future in which they know how to deal with use these tools responsibly.
The videos I record with them sometimes come from their own ideas, and at other times I watch a video on the internet and use it as inspiration to record my content . Currently I have been trying to include deeper subjects in the videos that involve emotional and significant issues for them, even if in a subtle way. I usually take some time to think about these videos and develop the themes before recording them in the room.
There is a saying that the relationship between student and teacher is always mutual, that is, a good teacher is one who not only teaches his students, but also ends up learning from them. In your case, what do you believe was the greatest lesson you learned from your students and what do you expect from them in the future?
Without a doubt, the greatest lesson I learned in this relationship with my students is that every human being needs to be heard. We go through a lot in our days and in our lives, but we don’t usually talk about it, just as we don’t have the habit of stopping to listen to others. It’s no different with children and teenagers. They also go through a lot in their lives and within themselves. I learned from them that it is important to speak, and it is important to listen. In the years that I have been in the classroom I have heard many stories from my students, many of these stories shocked me, and they came from students who I would never have imagined were going through that situation. Over time you realize that what they want is to be heard, even if we don’t say anything, they want to talk, they want someone to listen, and in the end, a hug means much more than any words. Every human being needs to be heard, no matter the age group.
I don’t know for sure what will come in the future or what to expect from each individual student, as everything will depend on the choices they make every day. However, what I deeply hope is that they succeed and reach unimaginable places, because I know what capacity they all have for this. I wish them to run tirelessly to realize the biggest dreams they once dared to have. And of course, I hope they never forget me, as I hope to mark them positively in a part of their life story.
In addition to your success in the classroom, your work ended up expanding, including participating in the TikTok Awards last year. At the time, did you ever expect your content to reach so many people?
I always dreamed of producing content for the internet, but I never imagined that it would be content with my students in the classroom, as I didn’t even know that this possibility existed. I also didn’t imagine it would be as fast as it was, in 10 months I created a network of people who like what I do and who interact, comment and identify with each other. This all led me to the Tiktok Awards in São Paulo, which I went to in December to attend, but I still dream of the day I will be there as a nominee in some category. At first I didn’t have high expectations for all of this, but today I have big dreams and many goals in this area of my life. It’s incredible to see something you do reach so many people and receive messages and comments from people you don’t even know, saying how much they like the videos and how much they admire my work and the way I connect with my students.
Just as there are different types of students, there are also different types of teachers, whether they are more traditional or those, like you, who seek to create a more playful and relaxed environment to teach. In your opinion, as a teacher, is there a right way to teach, or does it vary from situation to situation?
I think that there is no single correct way of teaching and being a teacher, but I think that each teacher must always seek to evolve and innovate in their methods, always trying to reach the greatest number of students. There need to be different teachers, as the students are different. No one learns in the same way as another, so it is necessary to have teachers who teach in different ways, but always seeking to innovate and reinvent themselves as an educator.
From what we can see in your videos, you and your students have a great affection and friendship. However, in any case, you as a teacher end up being a figure of greater authority and in your role seek to teach them. What does it feel like to know that you are part of building a new generation of future adults? In your opinion, can education change lives, both personally and professionally ?
I like to maintain this friendly relationship with my students, so they are open to talking to me about any situation, knowing that I am there to help them in whatever is necessary and in whatever way I can. Furthermore, I believe that the classroom is an environment that goes beyond pre-established content that needs to be explained to students. When you teach with love and through a fun environment, the memories established in this environment will be lasting for each student’s future life. Scientific knowledge is important, as is all the content covered in the classroom, but “teaching” goes much further. We don’t train a citizen by explaining mathematical formulas or well-known artists from past periods. This is important because it serves as a basis for us to understand the world we live in and prepare us for the professional possibilities we will have in the future. The fact that I play with my students in class doesn’t mean that I don’t teach the content I need to teach, but it means that they are often learning something in a different and more fun way. Thus, the teaching process becomes lighter and more inspiring. And yes, it transforms lives! It’s incredible to be able to see a student’s evolution through school education. Being able to monitor changes both in educational and learning processes, as well as in social and personal aspects. Education can change and transform the lives of all those who are willing to stop, listen, read, research and try to understand what is not known. And it’s incredible to know that I’m part of a large group of teachers who are trying to change this system and who see immense potential in our children and teenagers.
What does education mean to you and how do you assess the importance of knowledge about your discipline – art – for people?
For me, education means showing the way. I believe that the role of teachers should be to show all the possibilities, all the paths and all the ways of walking. School education is a process in which we deliver a map into the hands of each student and we will teach them how to decipher this map and each subject will provide tools to overcome obstacles on the paths they will follow. In my discipline it is no different. Within art, I need to teach my students that on the path they take, they must look around and find beauty in this journey.
I like the idea of seeing art as glasses, which we put on to see everything that surrounds us and which makes our journey more beautiful, deeper and lighter. After all, in our lives we often don’t notice all the art that surrounds us, be it a painting on a wall, or the garden of a house on the way to work, or even the soundtrack of a film that moves us, or even the our reflection when looking in the mirror. The world is full of art, but we don’t realize it. And that’s what I try to show my students, that art is something fundamental and is present everywhere.
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