After 23 years in the classroom, Nicholas Ferroni decided to change course, and millions of people took notice. In an Instagram video that’s been watched more than 3 million times, the New Jersey high school teacher—who once worked as an actor—shared why he’s intentionally using less technology this year and returning to the teaching practices that worked before Google, laptops, and constant clicking.
In the video, Ferroni explains his shift toward more paper, more eye contact, more conversation, and more hands‑on learning—arguing that faster and more efficient doesn’t always mean better for developing students’ critical thinking, creativity, and connection. We checked in with Ferroni to see how the experiment is going, what “less tech” really looks like day to day, and what he’s learned so far. Here’s our Q&A with him.
By the way, you can follow Nicholas on Instagram here.
Q: You’re in your 23rd year of teaching. What led you to rethink how you were teaching this year when it came to technology?
Last year, I was actually looking for a change. I just felt like, I can’t do this anymore.
Over the summer, I reflected on what was most effective in my classroom. I feel like during the pandemic, so many teachers transitioned to 100% online presentations and digital tools—and we had to. But when we returned to in‑person learning, we already had all these tech systems in place, so we stuck with them. Chromebooks. Presentations. Screens.
And honestly, I saw such a decline in my students’ academics, their critical thinking skills, their social skills, their ability to adapt and resolve conflict. That’s when I realized I had gone a little too far away from what made me an effective teacher early in my career.
I truly felt like I was doing my students a disservice by keeping them on their Chromebooks the entire period. I love my job. I love my students. But I knew this wasn’t benefiting them.
When I first started teaching, I felt like I was a much more effective teacher, and my students benefited more from that style and methodology. So I said, I have to go back to what worked.
Q: What do you teach now?
I currently teach 10th grade Honors U.S. History, 11th and 12th grade Humanities, and a course called History Through Pop Culture and Mass Media.
Q: I know you were an actor prior to teaching. How did that experience shape the way you approach the classroom?
Yes, before teaching, I was an actor. I was on a soap. I kind of fell into it and thought, I might as well pursue this. I realized pretty quickly I wasn’t very good at it but I kept getting hired.
After about a year, I realized it didn’t make me happy. I always wanted to be a history teacher, so on the days I wasn’t filming, I started subbing. When a job opened at my old high school, I applied and became a permanent sub and then switched to full‑time.
I always say every great teacher could be a great actor, but not every great actor could be a great teacher. Teaching is performance and improv every day—except you’re doing six shows a day for an audience that doesn’t necessarily want to be there.
Q: When did things finally start clicking for you as a teacher?
My first four or five years were really tough. You go in thinking it’s Dead Poets Society—they’re going to hang on your every word, and then you realize content is the least important part of teaching.
Around my fifth year, I hit my stride. That happened when I stopped lecturing so much and took more risks. I moved toward experiential, activity‑based learning. That’s when everything changed.
Q: What does “less tech” actually look like in your classroom?
I’d be lying if I said there’s no tech in my class. We still use it for research. But at least three or four days a week, there’s pen to paper. Hand to paper. Hands‑on work.
Every other Friday, we have a completely tech‑free day. Students play board games, read, write, journal, draw, or color. No work. No screens.
Q: What changes have you seen in your students since shifting this approach?
My kids are more talkative. More engaged. More compassionate. They’re using parts of their brain they don’t normally use. Even my seniors—who are usually checked out—are participating. That’s been huge.
Q: How do you talk to students about phone use and technology without it turning into a power struggle?
I don’t frame it as discipline. I frame it as care. I talk to them about brain hacking—how companies design technology to keep them hooked. I talk about mental health. I tell them why we’re limiting phones and tech. I don’t expect them to throw their phones on the ground, but I want them to understand what’s happening to their brains.
Sometimes it’s just about showing them it’s okay to disconnect. We’re going to be fine.
Q: What advice would you give teachers who want to try this but feel overwhelmed?
Start simple. A journal entry. A question on the board written on an index card. A notebook that stays in the classroom. I’m buying notebooks for all of my students next year so we can journal regularly.
There’s always a way to take something from Google Classroom and make it tangible—something they can write on, feel, see, and touch.
Q: Any final message for educators watching all of this play out?
Don’t be afraid to fail. Try new things. Our best memories—and our best learning—almost never happen in front of a screen. Presence is still the most powerful tool we have.
Check out our video where Nicholas Ferroni talks about this effort.
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