Leverage these simple strategies to optimize this platform in your professional practice.

Even as the quality of content and variety of resources on YouTube continues to grow, many educators continue to under-utilize this platform. Here are seven strategies that just may rock your YouTube experience and help you receive more value there than ever before.

1. Sign in.

Signing into your Google account allows you to subscribe to channels, comment, share videos with friends within the platform, upload, track your viewing history (this can be super helpful), get better video recommendations, and basically do anything else that matters on the platform. Not signing in removes all of those options, and you’ll be stuck with trending video nonsense in your feed. Not helpful.

2. Subscribe.

Whenever I find a valuable video, I subscribe to the channel. It’s just a quick click, and it’s an easy way to follow the creator. As I continue to subscribe to channels over time, my feed gets smarter and the videos recommended to me are better tailored to my needs and interests. If you’re looking for some great education channels to subscribe to, check out this list, compiled by guests of the Teachers on Fire podcast.

3. Add to playlists.

No matter what your professional practice looks like, this is a valuable habit to get into. Whenever you find a video that’s helpful, add it to a playlist. Whether you choose to make each playlist public or private, creating a playlist is a great way to save and curate helpful content. Playlists also become a great way to share a series of videos with students or colleagues. If it’s the kind of video you might want to use again, add it to a playlist.

4. Add to the Watch Later list.

Watch Later is a built-in playlist that everyone has in their account. Any time you notice a video suggested in your main feed or sidebar and you think “I’d like to watch that at some point — but I have no time right now,” don’t let it get away. Select ‘Watch Later’ by clicking the clock icon that pops up in the top right corner of the video. There’s also a +Save button right below every playing video that allows you to save to the same list.

5. Like, comment, and engage with creators.

There are so many brave creators and educators out there who are working so hard to share their ideas and make inspiring content. Likes and comments are their oxygen, so if you have ten seconds to encourage a creator whose work you really enjoyed, do it. It’s also a great way to build new relationships with industry leaders and expand your PLN.

6. Use picture-in-picture.

Right-clicking any YouTube video opens up some snazzy options, including the ability to screencast to a projector or TV, loop, and shift to picture-in-picture. This lets you work away in Gmail, Docs, Classroom and the like while still keeping an eye on your content via a small window in the corner of your screen.

7. Sign in on your TV’s YouTube app.

This will give you access to all the same history, subscriptions, and playlists that you’ve carefully curated over time on your laptop, tablet, and phone. This is one more reason why my family recently ditched our cable subscription. YouTube (and Netflix, of course) have become our go-to sources for learning and entertainment. If the feed on your YouTube app is filled with trending nonsense, it isn’t YouTube’s fault. Once you sign in with your Google account, your curated subscriptions and playlists will show up right away.

It’s Time to Rock Your YouTube

YouTube is an awesome platform, and there’s no limit to the varieties and quality of content being added to the platform daily. Do yourself the favor of taking full advantage.
By leveraging these seven strategies, you’ll get more value from YouTube than you ever thought possible.