From Classroom to Camera: Javier Lozano’s Journey as a Teacher and YouTuber

By Nhật Huy 11.2

How would one handle the demands of being both a teacher and a YouTuber? This is a question that Javier Lozano, a dedicated teacher at Wellspring, has had to answer. After a long day in the classroom, Mr. Javier sits down with Wisers TV to share his YouTube journey, how the channel came to life, and the delicate balance between teaching students and creating video content.

Mr. Javier speaking at Book street. Ngụy Tuấn Khôi for WSTV

The Birth of a Channel

Initially, Mr. Javier had always wanted to become a Spanish teacher. Yet, when he came to Vietnam, such opportunities were not prevalent at all.

“When I was in school, I had a degree in Journalism and a masters in Narratives,” the teacher recalled. “And yet, what I wanted to do was teach about Spanish literature! The channel was a great excuse for me to start teaching what I wanted.”

Thus, the channel came to life: Initially focusing on literature and helping Spanish students pass their tests. Over time, the channel’s scope has expanded into other topics, discussing recent Spanish news and events alike.

The Youtube Journey

Success did not come overnight. “The channel would initially only get 20 to 100 views after months of being published – not exactly successful in any sense of the word,” the ELA teacher remarked. “The breakthrough only came when I made a video summarizing my favorite book in Literature: The Family of Pascual Duarte. That was the first video to cross the 1000 views threshold!”

Going off the momentum, Mr. Javier started making more book summaries videos: discussing themes and key analyses, as well as sharing his own insights. However, the channel’s biggest milestone came last year when the ELA teacher started speaking about the Spanish Royal Family – bringing lots of views and attracting a bigger audience to the channel.

Challenges and Triumphs

Despite now gaining 40,000 subscribers as of recently, running the channel has not been without obstacles. The first few challenges came when the channel started to delve into real-life topics.

“Sometimes it’s hard to accept criticism,” Mr. Javier remarked. “I had to accept that I can’t always please everyone: that there would always be people who take offense regardless of what your opinion is.”

Aside from handling criticism, time management remains a major challenge. As an ELA and Spanish teacher in Wellspring, Mr. Javier’s routine would also be jam-packed – especially with a recent addition to his family: a baby.

“My life now revolves around the baby!” he laughed. “After work, I go home and spend time with my family. When the baby finally goes to bed at 7:30, that’s when I finally have the free time to plan the videos and start recording.”

Despite the established time, Mr. Javier still finds the balance between works difficult. “At times I do feel burnt out,” he sighed. “It’s as if I have two jobs and not enough time to get my head off of work!”

Despite the challenges, Mr. Javier continues to grow his channel alongside his long-time friend and collaborator, David. His advice to aspiring content creators is simple yet powerful:  
“Don’t give up,” he says with a smile. “Your first few videos might get zero views. You might pour a lot of effort into the videos and feel like it went unnoticed. But success comes with perseverance. Maybe it’ll happen sooner or later but consistency is key!”

As Mr. Javier continues his YouTube journey, his experiences stand as a testament to the power of hard work, consistency, and perseverance – valuable lessons for any who wishes to pursue similar ambitions.