Learning on TikTok: Building My Personal Learning Curriculum

If you’ve been following along, you already know that I love learning in all forms—books, conversations, journals, podcasts, and lately… TikTok.
Yes, TikTok.

My kids still laugh every time I say it, but it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite spaces to discover new ideas. And recently, a video about designing your own personal learning curriculum stopped my doomscrolling in the best way.

It was right up my alley—self-paced, creative, reflective, and deeply personal.

What Is a Personal Learning Curriculum
A personal learning curriculum is a self-designed plan for growth built around what matters most to you. It isn’t driven by deadlines, grades, or pressure to perform. Instead, it gives you permission to learn at your own pace and in your own way.

You choose the topic, collect resources, and chart your progress—whether through journaling, video logs, or creative projects.

To set one up, all you need is curiosity and a plan that fits your rhythm:

1. Choose a focus area that excites you.
2. Gather resources—books, videos, podcasts, social media content, and local experiences.
3. Schedule consistent learning time.
4. Reflect on what you’re learning along the way.
5. Keep going until you feel satisfied with your growth.

There’s no timeline or finish line—just learning that moves at the pace of your life.

If you want to learn more, search “personal learning curriculum” on TikTok. You’ll find educators, creators, and lifelong learners designing their own growth journeys one topic at a time.

My Winter Personal Learning Curriculum
December and January are always choppy months. Between school breaks, holidays, and shifting schedules, it’s easy to lose consistency, so this winter, I decided to create a personal learning curriculum that gives me structure and joy without the pressure. I call it my winter mini series.

It’s a self-paced two-month learning journey through books, creativity, Black History, and reflection—anchored in habits that help me stay grounded and inspired.

Unit 1: 75 Booked
I love reading, so I am excited to set aside time daily to do what I love. I’m reading for 90 minutes a day (two 45-minute sessions) and tracking my reading in a physical journal. It’s helping me rediscover focus and calm in a season that can feel chaotic.

At the end of each month, I’ll have journal pages that help me reflect on my learning and engage critically with my reading, including quotes, vocabulary, and anything else that speaks to me as I read.

Unit 2: Black History
I’m reading Black AF History by Michael Harriot and The Black Family Who Built America by Dr. Karida Brown and Charly Palmer, alongside a few documentaries and podcasts like 1619 and Black History Year.

I'm always intrigued by everything I don't know about Black history, and there's just too much to try to squeeze it into the shortest month of the year. I'm always stretching my learning in this area, so this unit is exciting for me.

Unit 3: Creativity
​I'm being intentional about giving time and space to create. I’m revisiting The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, a 12-week journey that invites creativity and reflection back into daily life. I already know it will take longer than 12 weeks—and that’s okay.
Morning Pages have become an anchor in my mornings. Writing three pages of stream-of-consciousness each day clears space for creativity and calm before the world gets loud.

And the Artist Dates—my weekly solo adventures—have reignited my joy for exploration.
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One of my favorite Artist Dates so far was a collage-making experience at the South Dallas Cultural Center, hosted by Lakeem and Simone Wilson. The session asked a powerful question: What if you could hold history in your hands—cut it, remix it, and make it speak again?
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Using Jet, Ebony, and other legacy magazines, we created collages that reimagined the Black press—connecting the past to the present through art. It was a celebration of creativity, culture, and community, reminding me that learning doesn’t just happen in classrooms—it happens wherever people gather to make meaning.

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Learning Without Pressure
This kind of learning feels like freedom. There are no deadlines, no expectations—just curiosity and commitment. I’m giving myself space to keep learning until I feel satisfied, whether that takes a month, a semester, or beyond.

It’s helped me reconnect with the joy of discovery—the kind of learning that first made me fall in love with education.

If you’ve never designed your own personal learning curriculum, I encourage you to start small. Choose a topic, set aside time, and let yourself learn for the love of it. You’ll be surprised by how much clarity and creativity it brings.

I’m always learning—and this season, I’m doing it with more intention, creativity, and community than ever before.

Here’s to being a lead learner—in leadership and in life. Lead. Learn. Live. Repeat.