Science teacher Tadgh O’Donovan talks to EMMA CONNOLLY about social media, teenage students, and his TV debut on Rebel Education

HE may have 212,000 followers on Instagram and over 400,000 more on TikTok, but for teacher Tadgh O’Donovan it all started from the front room of his parent’s home in Bandon.

There, with a whiteboard borrowed from his brother-in- law’s milking parlour, the West Cork man began what he’s now built up as a large social media following thanks to his educational, and at times hilarious, content.

Not only is he making waves online but he’s now hitting small screens as part of Virgin Media’s new series A Rebel Education: Inside Carrigaline Community School which premiered on Sunday night.

With unprecedented access to classrooms, corridors and staff rooms, the series follows school principal Paul Burke and his team – including TikTok Tadgh – as they guide students through the highs and lows of secondary school life.

Tadgh has taught science in the school, one of the biggest in the country with 1,100 students, since December 2020, and before that the University of Limerick graduate taught in the UK for five years.

TikTok

‘I was in the UK at the start of the pandemic and I was part of a programme that was delivering food to some less well-off families and I was meeting students,’ recalled Tadgh, ‘and I could see that they were all scrolling on TikTok, but not engaging with the school network at all. 

‘So I thought that if I could come up with some educational content along with some skits, they might learn on the platform where they spent their time and it really just took off from there.’

He returned to his native Bandon in the summer of 2020, and while waiting to secure a job, he decided to put his time to good use.

‘I figured that if I couldn’t teach in the classroom, then I’d take my school online,’ he reasoned. ‘I borrowed a white board that my brother- in-law had been using in his milking parlour and set up my own class in my parents’ front room.’

He applied himself as diligently as he would have had he been in an real classroom, conducting two classes a week and covering the Junior Cert cycle. 

He also conducted weekly ‘live’ classes which were a run- away success; over 30,000 students would typically ‘attend’ over the course of the hour.

Tadgh said he honestly never expected his content to be such a hit, but of course it’s a big help that he injects plenty of his fun-loving personality into everything he does.

Science

‘I feel strongly that we need to keep science relevant for the kids to learn.

‘Lots feel that it’s something “out there”, so I try to bring in concrete examples, especially sporting ones as I’m big into sport,’ he said.

Another initiative he’s ‘running’ with is a pledge to run 1km for every revision booklet his Leaving Cert students complete.

‘Last weekend that meant I had to run half a marathon, the day after a wedding! I didn’t know if they’d buy into it but they are in a big way and a deal is a deal!’

He said his principal has been very supportive of his online creativity. ‘He can see the bigger picture, and that it’s ultimately helping kids with science,’ said Tadgh.

His wife Chelsea works in the school as an SNA and is another content creator. In fact, that’s how the couple, who got married last year in Kinsale, met.

‘We met at a wedding photoshoot and just clicked on the day. She’s from Offaly so I brought her to all of West Cork’s fabulous beauty spots on our coastline and convinced her to move down,’ joked Tadgh.

Mental health

In one of the four episodes which airs on Virgin Media One and are available to watch back on Virgin Media Play, Tadgh takes on the task of tackling social media’s impact on mental health with his Transition Year class, and he admits he’s conscious of the time he spends himself on his smart phone.

When he’s not working or creating TikToks, Tadgh enjoys going to the gym, coaches school rugby and plays with Bandon’s second team.

Fitness is important to him; he’s typically in the gym a few mornings a week at 6am and hopes to run the Cork City Marathon for the second time next year with his younger sister.

Despite his success and talent outside the classroom, it’s where Tadgh intends to stay, for now at least.

‘I’m not expecting Hollywood to come calling any time soon,’ he joked. ‘I love being in the classroom, and giving back.

‘I had a great time myself when I was in school in St Brogan’s, and I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones who had a really great experience in school so I think I’ve more to do and give in that regard.

‘Our school has amazing staff and kids and we’re here to help them become the best versions possible of themselves.’