When we think of a teacher outside school, we still can’t imagine them being any different. They remain teachers, who maintain a certain image, and in most cases, we assume their life to be stuck in between classes, lessons, books and corrections. However, some Kolkata teachers have chosen to pave themselves a bylane — and walk an alternative path. Beyond their school timings, they are cool, creative and popular. This Teachers’ Day, My Kolkata spoke to three influencers-cum-teachers — Sanjay Barai, Koninika De and Pritha Paul — to try and decode how they manage their dual roles.
It is like a switch — you have to know when to turn it off: Sanjay Barai
Sanjay Barai (@sanju_barai) shot to fame when he barely had an understanding of vlogging. A government school teacher (he declined to name the school) since 2009, he began his vlogging journey on Instagram casually from his home during the lockdown. “I am from Baruipur, but I live in Kolkata, away from my family. When Covid hit, my domestic help couldn’t come, so I started doing everything on my own. From cooking to cleaning, I did everything and made daily vlogs on my phone. I posted them and I don't know how it started receiving so much love. The family started growing and it kept on growing,” recalled Sanjay.
Soon, when his follower count touched the 1,000 mark (now past the 2,00,000 mark), he realised he had to draw a line, because he was first a teacher and then an influencer. “When I started posting, I couldn't imagine the little ones I teach would have access to social media. The children in my classroom started saying, ‘Sir, I loved that recipe you made’. That’s when I realised my students were watching my videos and I had to draw certain lines,” he said.
Sharing how he manages both his passions, he said, “I am extra careful about the way I portray myself, the way I dress, what I promote. Even today, I think and rethink before promoting a brand and posting content. Apart from this, I maintain a strict decorum in class. I don't allow students to discuss my social media presence in class with me. I also abide by self-discipline. I don't carry my phone to the classroom. Juggling both is a task, but it is like a switch, you have to know when to turn it off. ”
Sanjay widely promotes art, culture and self-independence through his content. While he revives his traditions through his cooking, he can also be seen creating masterpieces with his artistic talents. He says he is lucky to have supportive colleagues, who show interest in his work and encourage him to do better. “I am extremely pampered at my workplace. My fellow teachers sometimes give me ideas on my next content and also select music for my reels. I feel blessed to have them,” he said.
Love both, but never neglect one for another: Koninika De
Koninika De's career as a teacher spans 16 years. She began as a private teacher before becoming a school teacher, and recently joined Gokhale Memorial Girls’ School as a biology teacher. But ‘Koninika ma’am’ has another identity — she is known as a popular lifestyle vlogger (1,20,000 followers) who goes by the Instagram handle @konizfoodwheels. “My journey with food started way back in 2012, when I was pursuing my masters degree from Ballygunge Science College. I used to visit restaurants and review them on Zomato. It was later in 2013 that I started my professional journey as a teacher. Being a teacher hasn’t ever stopped me from pursuing my passion,” revealed Koninika.
But putting oneself out on social media can come with some responsibilities when you are a teacher and Koninika feels she must pass down the right set of values and education to the next generation. She says, “Teachers are role models to their students. They immediately imbibe what the teacher does. You must practise what you preach. Students should be able to judge what is ethically just and morally correct. My personal profile has no share button. As for @konizfoodwheels, I am always a share button away.”
However, Koninika has aced the balance between her two roles. Her secret mantra? She reveals, “I am quite a hard taskmaster at school. Professional and personal spheres should never cross one another. But, I am thankful to everyone who appreciates my hard work,” she said. Koninika is also thankful to her school authorities who have been supportive of her personal space. However, when it comes to imparting education, she makes sure to abide by the virtues and beliefs of the organisation. Signing off, she said, “I have always believed — love both but never neglect one for the other.”
There’s always a line — a line of dignity: Pritha Paul
With an experience of seven years, Pritha Paul loves teaching the nursery children at Calcutta Boys’ School. And when outside school, she enjoys creating content around food such as on @nibble_o_gram. From covering restaurants to making cooking videos — she does it all. “I became a teacher to fulfil my parents' dream. While I enjoyed teaching, I realised I wanted to do something more. Then, vlogging happened because of my love for food,” Pritha shared.
While her students are too young to follow their teacher on social media, Pritha started getting attention from the guardians and older students. She said, “With an increasing follower count (now over 70,000), it dawned on me that my videos were becoming the topic of discussion among parents and high-school students. That’s when I knew I had to maintain a certain image. I want to present myself well on a public platform. I take these measures because there's always a line, a line of dignity you can say.”
The young teacher also admits to receiving a lot of love from her fellow staff and some parents. “My colleagues are very interested in my content. Now, when I have to leave for some event right after school, they help me with my makeup. The parents too are sometimes very sweet. I am a tea addict, and the other day a mother sent me a photo collage. In one photo her daughter was drinking tea on the road while in the other, it was my photo with a teacup. She had captioned it ‘Like teacher, like student.’ I found it to be a very sweet gesture,” Pritha summed up.