In a year that turned everything topsy turvy, if there’s one thing civilisation might want to revel in, it’s possibly the increasing popularity of teachers—whose profession is often relegated to the sidelines when compared with the more ‘important’ medicine, engineering and information technology.

Khan is a member of an increasing tribe of educators sought after by students dissatisfied by the online experience that 2020 has forced upon them. An added benefit is that the increased views and subscribers to their channels are bringing in not just word-of-mouth publicity, but also the moolah.

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In a 200-sq-ft space in Kurar village, Malad, Dineshkumar Gupta, better known as Dinesh Sir, has set up a studio space from where he shoots his videos. The set up, which includes a green curtain on one wall for shoot on chroma screen, noise absorbing boards to cancel echo, professional lighting and a DSLR camera on a stand, and a computer to edit his content, has cost him upwards of R2.5 lakh, including the rent he pays for the space he has had since August 2020. But, for Gupta, who teaches mathematics for secondary and higher secondary classes of the Maharashtra State Board, with primary focus on board exam years, SSC and HSC, this is an investment.

With three lakh student subscribers who turn to his daily uploads to learn an intimidating subject, Gupta says he could no longer continue to shoot on his mobile phone, with poor audio quality. “I had no understanding of camera angles or background choices or interactive screens. I learnt on the job, over the years and it has started paying off now,” says Gupta, adding that former students, now in the entertainment industry, have taught him the nuances of shooting and editing videos.

“When I started in 2016 I had a mere 4,000 subscribers. Today, I have four lakh across my two channels. I couldn’t have had this reach if I had stuck to teaching only my school children,” says Gupta, a teacher from secondary classes at a Bandra BMC school. With a day-time teaching job, the YouTube channel was a medium to get a greater audience for free. “That I managed to monetise the channel was a bonus. Now, I earn enough to enhance my content quality with better tech support.” A rack holding multiple blazers in a corner of his studio, is unmissable. “I believe in good presentation,” Gupta says, catching the movement of our eyes.

He says he had started shooting classes from his bedroom like most teachers, but soon realised the value of aesthetics as teaching tools. And, other than the need for quality content online related to their curriculum, additional time on students’ hands has led to the growth of YouTube channels such as his. “Pre-pandemic, students had barely any time after attending physical classes and then coaching institutes. Now, with everything online, they are able to browse for other available options.”

Today, Khan earns around R10,000 per month not just from his monetisation of the YouTube channel, but also the several stationary related brands approaching him for promotion. Gupta, while underlining that his profits are only through the advertisements shown on his channel by YouTube, says that teachers can also cash in on their popularity through tie-ups with established ed-tech platforms. “They approach the teachers, and this pays a handsome amount. I too, have been approached by different ed-tech platforms. But, my objectives are different and I am able to provide good quality content with the profit I am making currently,” says Gupta whose father worked as a hawker on Mumbai roads, until recently. “It was because of some teachers that I managed to make a good life for myself with the help of education. And now, when I am in that position I want to extend the same help.”
 
Ensuring that their content is free for their students is a prime principle for the YouTube teachers. Santa cruz-based Ashish Chourasiya, whose lessons in accounts and taxation for commerce students of Class XI to TYBCom, has earned him almost 60,000 subscribers—he had 5,000 in 2017—over the last year, says, “With the lockdown there were several rumours around the education sector—for instance, would colleges open or not, would exams be online or offline, what patterns would online exams follow etc.  Realising the need for a destination for correct information, I became active on the channel. Soon, my lecture videos too, started getting significant views.”

Chourasiya runs coaching classes under the name of Ashish Tutorials in Santa Cruz East, and has a proper setup where he shoots his lectures with a mobile phone camera on a tripod. Shot in a class, the video he feels, provides students with the feel of sitting in a class. “I earn a profit from my coaching institutes and so, when it comes to YouTube, my sole purpose is to impart education to those who cannot afford coaching class services. Monetising the channel is a bonus,” he says.

The 29-year-old started a tuition service just after Class XII, to support his family. On the conflict between running a paid service while also conducting free sessions, he says, “I may be offering a similar lecture on YouTube but after all, virtual learning is different. There are obviously additional benefits when learning in person. But my YouTube venture is for those who cannot afford this in-person learning fee.” He adds that his efforts to convince other teachers to train to teach in front of the camera have gone unheard. “There is fear and discomfort among most teachers, when it comes to doing this in front of the camera, as opposed to in a controlled set-up of your class,” he says, adding that this is why many students are looking to fill the gaps left by online school leaning, and are getting hooked to teachers such as him.

Take the case of Parth Momaya. A 25-year-old chemistry teacher, Momaya, started his YouTube channel in the pandemic and has already gained a lakh subscribers. He shoots from his bedroom, but now his mother’s green saree has been replaced with a proper chroma curtain, and the Adroid phone has given way to an iPhone. A laptop borrowed from a friend is used for editing the lectures and a collar microphone has been bought for better audio.

While he is not a trained teacher, he begun teaching early for pocket money. There’s also the added benefit of watching his mother, who takes tuitions at home. “I have seen my mother struggle with online teaching. I tried to ease her into it, but she was not comfortable with technology. It got me thinking how there would be many such teachers. And so began my YouTube endeavour,” says Momaya, who lost his job at a reputed coaching institute from the city last April. His lectures come with the added touch of entry music and background scores. He now plans to expand to other board curriculums too, for chemistry, while acquiring proper training in teaching.
But, the YouTube teachers have it easy, argue those who have been conducting online classes for their offline students during the pandemic.

“These teachers do not have students creating trouble in an online class. When you are already struggling to manage technology, these children are much ahead in fooling around with it,” argues a teacher from a junior college in Bandra. Another, from an Andheri school, not wishing to be identified for the story, says many experienced teachers haven’t been able to adapt to the tech easily. “While you are in class, you know the pulse of the students and who is paying attention, how much they have understood, etc. Whereas, a one-way video does not show us how effective the lecture has been. You are just talking to the camera on your phone or on a laptop,” the teacher says. 

The comments section for Momaya’s videos say otherwise.

“There are my school and tuition teachers who are doing no hard work, but are expecting a good amount of money and there is Parth sir who is working hard on these presentations and I am learning for free. I started loving science after this,” states one comment on his lecture. Another student feels that his parents’ money has been wasted on coaching class tuitions thus far, “as I understand better through this video”.

Shivani Prabhu, a Class XII student, from Malad says, “In any school, college or coaching class we have a set of teachers for all subjects. Some are good, some are not. But, on YouTube you can pick and choose, without having to pay for it. There are also doubt solving sessions on other social media apps that these teachers run, plus there are live classes. So it is a proper mix.” Prabhu was introduced to Gupta’s YouTube channel through a link circulated among her friends.

“It is easy to click and check if you like a certain teacher’s style, else you can choose not to subscribe to that channel. This option is never available when it comes to selecting teachers in an offline platform,” says Mayank Shah, a student from Ghatkopar. Afsha Ansari, from Andheri, points out that not everyone has their own cellphone. “We do have online school. But there are so many of my classmates who do not have their own mobile phone. They end up missing the Zoom school. But, at night when their parents are home, they get to access these YouTube videos through their parents’ phones. These videos can be watched multiple times, can be paused when you are confused or rewound if you want something to be re-explained. All this is not possible in online school. We can also put up doubts in the comments section, which do get resolved.”

Chourasiya says it’s not a one-way street. “One of my staffers keeps track of the comments and collates doubts. Students can also send me an email or messages on a dedicated WhatsApp number. These queries are then categorised and, each Sunday, a session is uploaded where all these questions are answered,” he says. Some channels such as Gupta’s also hold random gift draws for the best questions, to keep students engaged.

But, any field requires further education.

To ensure that he and his channel continue to remain engaging, Gupta attended the YouTube FanFest in 2019 in order to promote his channel and also learn a thing or two from the younger generation creating careers from content. 

“The pandemic has opened a new door for the teaching community and it’s time to step out of the box,” he says.

It’s good to keep oneself updated with changing times, says Momaya. “After all, who thought that one day teachers would be popular on YouTube.”

Pic/Sameer Markande

Parth Momaya, 25
Teaches: Chemistry for Class VIII to XII
Employment history: Worked at a coaching institute till April 2020
Subscribers: 1 lakh

Pic/Anurag Ahire

Wasim Khan, 30
Teaches: Mathematics in Urdu for Classes VIII, IX and X
Employment history: None
Subscribers: 34K

Pic/Shadab Khan

Ashish Chourasiya, 29
Teaches: Accounts and taxation for commerce students of Class XI to TYBCom
Employment history: Runs Ashish Tutorials in Santa Cruz East
Subscribers: 60K

Pic/Anurag Ahire

Dineshkumar Gupta, 35
Teaches: Mathematics for secondary and higher secondary classes, Maharashtra State Board
Employment history: Permanent teacher at Bandra BMC school
Subscribers: 3 lakh

2.5 lakh
Investment for set-up: chroma curtain, DSLR and stand, laptop, echo cancelling boards, lighting