Gained Recognition as 'Daeriam' on Competition Show Superband
Started Working as an Instructor at Etoos Since Early This Year
"Will Create Educational Content Covering Basics to Advanced Levels"
"Although I have an introverted personality, I use a different persona when giving lectures or going on stage."
Science teacher turned instructor and band vocalist, An Seongjin (photo), is described this way by those around him. An gained recognition in 2019 by appearing on JTBC's competition program ‘Superband’ with the song ‘Daeriam,’ which lyrically expressed the phenomenon of marble dissolving when it meets hydrochloric acid. His main character (original persona) is ‘instructor,’ but his sub-character is ‘musician.’
An was in the teaching profession for five years before moving to Etoos earlier this year to work as an instructor. He said, "My main job is, after all, being an instructor. I tend not to separate work and hobbies." Regarding his move to Etoos, he explained, "Although I received instructor offers after appearing on broadcasts before, I decided to change jobs because Etoos highly values ‘lectures’ and saw potential in me."
He faced significant identity concerns during the transition to becoming an instructor. He defined, "If a teacher is an adult who sets an example as a member of society, an instructor is a well-made human reference book." He added, "I became a teacher because I wanted to give good lessons, and I didn’t like teaching with materials made by others, so I created all the handouts myself. There were limits to teachers creating content and educating, and half of the students didn’t attend classes, so motivating them was difficult."
The turning point that led him to become an instructor happened during a class. He said, "During a second-year high school earth science class, I was teaching BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) in a trance-like state, and after the class, the students applauded, saying it was an excellent lecture. That made me think I could do this even better."
He was admitted as the top student to the Department of Earth Science Education at Korea National University of Education but had an unconventional teenage life. An said, "I dropped out of high school, stayed home playing guitar and studying composition, and started studying seriously at 19 to enter university. Even in college, I focused on music for three years and got five F grades in my second year. I spent more time studying music than science. I invested heavily to reach a level where I could maintain my status without effort."
An described his strength as ‘tenacity.’ He personally creates animation materials to explain concepts in earth science and edits his lectures himself. He said, "I constantly improve myself, feel my limits, and learn. The reason I became an instructor is that I wanted to create an environment where I could keep learning endlessly."
He emphasized the importance of ‘video content’ in education. He explained, "In the coming era, educators who can properly create video content will survive, and eventually, the balance will shift online. My goal is to create excellent content that can help students of all levels."
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