Tik Tok teacher uses social media platform for good

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Motueka High School dance teacher Liv Martin has a significant following on Tik Tok, and is using the social media platform for a good cause.

The 26-year-old started posting dance videos on the app while working at a school in Auckland in 2022.

Creating content of herself and another teacher performing short routines – during lunch breaks or before school – was mainly just a “bit of fun“, she said.

But the videos took off, and now Martin has over 170,000 followers, mostly teenagers across New Zealand.

By popular demand, the passionate dance teacher now shares other aspects of her life, be it cooking, describing what’s happening on a teacher-only day, or asking which drink bottle she should get.

“It’s so random, it could be things that I’ve bought online.

“Maybe what I do on the weekends now, what I do … after school.”

Tik Tok teacher uses social media platform for good

Motueka High school dance teacher, Liv Martin who has a big following on Tik Tok, has become a World Vision 40 Hour Challenge Ambassador for the nationwide youth fundraising event this month.
WORLD VISION / NELSON MAIL

Martin moved to the Nelson region and began teaching at Motueka High School this year, after her partner got a job at a local school.

She started posting videos on Tik Tok not just for fun, but to try to improve some students’ views of teachers, she said.

“A lot of teachers are seen by students to kind of be the bad guys.

“I wanted to have a platform where I could show students in schools that teachers are normal people … we do it because we love it.”

While she had branched out from dancing to blogging, it was for the same reasons.

“[To show] this is what we do when we aren’t in front of you teaching … [we] want the best for you.”

It could even motivate young viewers to “go and do something”, she said.

“If they’re watching [screens] … I’m glad they’re watching my content that’s safe, it’s normal, it’s nothing that’s bad or toxic to them.

“I always say at the end [of cooking videos] go cook for your mum and dad, or go and do your dishes.”

Now Martin has become an ambassador for New Zealand’s largest youth fundraising event, the annual World Vision 40 Hour Challenge.

The charity said Martin was someone passionate about connecting with young people and making a difference in the world.

Motueka High school dance teacher Liv Martin joined other World Vision 40 Hour Challenge Ambassadors for challenges earlier this year, including guerilla gardening and up-cycling clothing.
WORLD VISION / NELSON MAIL

Ambassadors included other content creators Win Wolf and Judah Metu-Teaukura, rugby player Caleb Clarke, actor Kimberley Crossman; singer/songwriter Paige Tapara and climate advocate Brianna Fruean.

“This year’s event is focused on addressing the impacts of climate change, which can have devastating effects for children around the world,” a spokesperson said.

Money raised would go towards helping to restore forests in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in Timor Leste which had lost nearly 90% of its forests to deforestation.

Martin was still deciding what her 40 hour challenge would be – potentially 40 acts of kindness or service to the community, she said.

“Guerrilla gardening” was among challenges Motueka High school teacher, Liv Martin, took part in earlier this year, when she joined other World Vision 40 Hour Challenge Ambassadors.
WORLD VISION / NELSON MAIL

The school’s “service captains” were also taking part.

She hoped her posts about the event would help more young people get involved.

“There’s people out there that are dealing with floods and droughts, all in one day.

“If it’s not put in front of your face, you don’t hear about it, you don’t see it.

Martin said she was privileged to have the platform, and needed to use it positively.

But being a teacher was her 9-5, she said.

“Obviously I’m really lucky now that Tik Tok has become a really massive part of my life, and another form of income now.

“But at the end of the day, that could go away tomorrow, but I’m a teacher, that’s my sole purpose.”