From Barbie to Black Mirror: Why Teaching Media Never Gets Old

Teaching Media is one of the most dynamic, culturally plugged-in and unexpectedly emotional jobs out there.

One day you're unpacking audience theories in relation to Barbie through a postmodern lens; the next, you're exploring Black Mirror to discuss representation, surveillance and ethics in digital culture. No two lessons are the same and no two students respond to Media in quite the same way. That unpredictability is part of what keeps it exciting.

But over time, I found myself juggling more and more: marking, planning, updating case studies, curriculum mapping, new BTEC briefs and the emotional load of leading a department. There were to-do lists scattered across notebooks, sticky notes buried in my bag, tons of tabs opened on my computer (and brain) plus five different digital calendars that never quite synced. And I realised, I was spending so much energy just trying to stay on top of things that it was getting in the way of what I actually loved: the teaching.

That’s when the idea for a Media Teacher planner started forming.

I wanted something designed specifically for our subject - a space to plan lessons that flip between set texts and NEA deadlines, a place to track emerging trends I want to bring into the classroom and somewhere to note those brilliant one-liners students drop when analysing an advert or pitching their short film idea.

Before the scribbles, ideas, deadlines and sticky notes, every great lesson (and term) starts with a blank page

It wasn’t about being super-polished or aesthetic. It was about having a tool that actually works for the chaos and creativity of Media teaching, something practical, specific and designed by someone who lives this job every day.

I’ve always loved the creativity that being a Media teacher allows and we get to pull from film, music, advertising, gaming and social media to build something meaningful. And, let’s be honest, I’m a bit of a stationery nerd. Pens, stickers, bullet journals, washi tape, they don’t just make things look nice; they help me think clearly and stay motivated.

So yes, teaching Media never gets old. But it does get overwhelming. And for me, creating something that could lighten that load (even slightly) felt not just useful, but necessary.

Whether you’re a one-person department, leading a team or just trying to make sense of the spec while managing a filming group who forgot the tripod (again), you deserve tools that support you.

And if that starts with a planner? Even better.