Gazing at the small white arrow button in front of her, it, debating whether she should post on her Instagram story. After a moment of hesitation, her finger finally touches the arrow, and the picture of a meme about reading is instantly attached to her story. In the next few hours, the post will be viewed by her many followers, most of which are her former and current students, as well as her teacher colleagues and friends. What may seem as a casual post for Bachen is actually a way for her to connect with her students beyond the classroom.
Bachen, who currently teaches Advanced Placement (AP) Language and Composition, Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) English Language and English 1, did not always use her account to post for her students. Its original purpose was completely different.
“It was originally for my crafting and planner stickers, and it had a different angle,” Bachen said.
However, when she started working as a curriculum specialist at a K-8 school, she began to post content to aid the teachers she formerly coached, such as lessons, presentations and discussion she integrated in her own classroom, shifting her content towards education. As her teaching career evolved, so did her social media account. It began to gain popularity with students after COVID-19.
“That’s when I started working for the high school instead of the elementary school,” Bachen said. “More students needed a way to get in contact with me.”
As the world transitioned from in-person learning to online learning, Bachen would post reminders for her assignments and pictures or videos that her students could relate to every day. Yet, she thought no one would take it seriously.
“I thought it was going to be a fluke,” Bachen said. “I didn’t know anyone was going to find it.”
The account’s following began to steadily grow. As she gained more popularity, she began to post a variety of things, including AP Lang Out of Context, Word of the Day from Mirriam Webster and inside jokes from class, mixing entertainment with education.
“The posts that get the most engagement are when they have a trending sound or something that’s unexpected, like another teacher [in the post],” Bachen said.
Despite her popularity, Bachen is certainly mindful of the boundaries that come with being an educator. She does not post content that would be considered inappropriate for school or could be received in a negative way. She also carefully checks the handles of every account she reposts, even if the post itself is appropriate for her students.
“I try not to put anything that I wouldn’t want my name to be associated with,” Bachen said.
This responsibility extends to her other accounts, including her personal one. Bachen keeps that account private to maintain a boundary between her professional and personal life. She also ignores any questions related to homework or assignments in her direct messages, enforcing boundaries with communication.
“You can message me on campus,” Bachen said. “People know that already.”
Bachen’s main purpose in posting is to teach her students that English can be fun with the right content. She enjoys seeing her students become engaged because of her account.
This story was originally published in the January 2026 Eagle Eye print edition.
