Photograph by Stephanie Eley
Jere Chang describes her experience joining TikTok as typical: It was fall 2020 and she was stuck at home when she downloaded the app on a whim. An Atlanta public school teacher, Chang soon found herself on “TeacherTok” and decided to start creating her own classroom-themed videos. Six months later, she had reached 190,000 followers and secured her first brand deal. Today, she has 3 million followers across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
Chang does her best to show how much fun teaching is, but the Sugar Hill, Georgia, native says her mission isn’t to recruit young teachers; it’s to be the teacher and the queer representation she needed as a child. Earlier in her career, Chang got a master’s degree in university administration but got bored working at the collegiate level and went back for a master’s in teaching English to speakers of other languages. She then found a job at a local elementary school that she felt matched her vibe.
“A lot of people think that queer teachers are angry and angsty, but it’s quite the opposite,” she says. “I’m a fun teacher, always celebrating kids and being goofy and fun with them. I call myself the lesbian Mr. Rogers because I’m positive and try to be a role model—but I’m also gay. And those things can go hand in hand.”
Most of Chang’s content is lighthearted, humorous skits based on stories from her classroom. She portrays a range of archetypal student characters, using names based on her own history and family. The adults she portrays in her skits are all Clue characters; Chang recently introduced Mr. Plum, “an outdated principal who is out of touch with happenings in the classroom.”
Occasionally, Chang’s wife and two sons appear in a video or behind the scenes, as in the series Lunch Prank, in which Chang’s wife packs something unexpected in her Friday lunch. “I do teacher life and mom life,” Chang says.
Around the school where she teaches, Chang is a bit of a celebrity: Even the kindergartners refer to her as “the YouTube lady.” Public speaking engagements are ramping up as well; this year, she’ll speak to teachers in Austin and Nashville.
“This has spiraled into so many things and opened so many opportunities,” Chang says. “The internet is a beautiful place. For anyone who wants to get on social media, I tell them to have fun. That’s most important.”
Back to 21 Reasons We Love Atlanta.
This article appears in our February 2025 issue.
