A Giggle Hero Story — Sercan İgrek
Where It All Started
My name is Sercan İgrek, and I am an English teacher from Türkiye.
But my journey as an educator didn’t truly begin in a classroom.
It began in a village with no internet.
During the pandemic, I was teaching in a small village in Şırnak, where many of my students had:
- No internet access
- No digital devices
- No way to attend online classes
While the rest of the world was moving forward with digital education,
my students were being left behind.
And I couldn’t accept that.
Teaching Without Internet
So I asked myself a simple question:
“If they can’t come to the lesson… how can I bring the lesson to them?”
I started recording English lesson videos on my own.
Not in a studio.
Not with professional equipment.
Just with one clear goal:
To make sure my students could keep learning.
I shared these videos offline, in every way I could.
And at the same time, I uploaded them to YouTube.
I didn’t realize it then…
but that small decision would change everything.
From One Village to Thousands of Students
What began as a solution for a handful of students
slowly became something much bigger.
Those same videos started reaching:
- Students in other cities
- Children I had never met
- Learners facing the same struggles
And I realized something powerful:
Education can travel further than we imagine.
Today, through social media, I connect with 100,000+ learners.
But my purpose has never changed:
- Make English simple
- Make learning accessible
- Help every child feel: “I can do this.”
Why Giggle Academy Matters to Me
When I discovered Giggle Academy,
it felt instantly familiar.
Because I have already seen what happens
when children are denied access to education.
Giggle’s mission —
free, accessible learning for every child —
is not just an idea to me.
It is something I have lived.
That’s why being part of this community means so much.
Teaching the Youngest Minds
Alongside my online journey,
I continue teaching young learners in preschool environments.
With children, learning looks different.
It’s not about memorizing rules.
It’s about:
- Playing
- Singing
- Exploring
Through games, storytelling, and daily routines,
I help children experience English naturally.
And sometimes, the smallest moment —
a single word, a simple response —
becomes something unforgettable.
One Video Can Change Everything
Looking back, everything started with one decision:
To not give up on my students.
One video became many.
One classroom became thousands.
And this is what I truly believe:
You don’t need perfect conditions to make an impact.
You just need to care enough to begin.
A Message to Educators
If you are a teacher reading this:
There will always be challenges.
There will always be limitations.
But there will also always be students
who need you.
Start with what you have.
Do what you can.
Because sometimes…
A simple video made for one student
can end up reaching the world.
Looking Ahead
My mission is simple:
To keep creating.
To keep teaching.
To keep reaching the students who might otherwise be left behind.
Because education is not a privilege.
It is a right.
And every child deserves a chance.
A Journey That Continues
From a village without internet…
to a world full of learners.
This journey is far from over.
And I’m just getting started.
— Sercan İgrek
Giggle Hero | Educator | Believer in Accessible Learning