Teaching

Teachers Share Their Best April Fools’ Day Pranks

By Hayley Hardison — March 28, 2023 1 min read
A large amount of glossy painted stones made to look like yellow laughing emojis
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

April Fools’ Day is nearly upon us, and educators across the country are preparing playful pranks for their (un)suspecting students.

April 1st is also the first day of National Humor Month, which aims to promote the value of laughter in increasing morale and connectedness to others. In a 2019 Education Week Opinion blog post by Larry Ferlazzo, one educator wrote: “Laughter in the classroom is an important part of building a strong community of learners. If the laughter is at no one’s expense, we bond over a shared experience—our own cache of insider jokes.”

Even though April Fools’ Day lands on a Saturday this year, pranksters are still bound to run amok. If you’re itching to bring some laughter or spirit into your classroom this week, we’ve compiled 9 hilarious pranks that educators on TikTok have played on their students.

@beard_al wait to see my student's reaction. I lost it at the end 😂 #aprilfools #teachersoftiktok #science101 #subway ♬ original sound - Beard Al(ex)
@littlekayyyy Wait for the end…. They hate me 😂😂😭 #teachersoftiktok #fyp #aprilfools ♬ original sound - K

Oh, and if you want to trick your colleagues, we’ve got you covered.

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Managing AI in Schools: Practical Strategies for Districts
How should districts govern AI in schools? Learn practical strategies for policies, safety, transparency, as well as responsible adoption.
Content provided by Lightspeed Systems
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Unlocking Success for Struggling Adolescent Readers
The Science of Reading transformed K-3 literacy. Now it's time to extend that focus to students in grades 6 through 12.
Content provided by STARI
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Homework Assignments Less Common in High-Poverty Districts
An EdWeek Research Center survey examines out-of-school assignments by poverty level of the school system.
3 min read
Students in Cristina Hernandez's International Baccalaureate Math Analysis and Approaches Higher Level 1 work on an assignment during class at Bonita Vista High School on Oct. 10, 2024 in San Diego, Calif.
Students work on an assignment during a high school class on Oct. 10, 2024, in San Diego. An EdWeek Research Center survey shows that teachers in more impoverished school districts say they're less likely to assign homework.
Ariana Drehsler for Education Week
Teaching Opinion Are Students Really Learning? How to Check for Understanding
One of the best methods is to make student thinking visible.
13 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching From Our Research Center Are Schools Assigning Less Homework? A New Survey Offers Answers
The EdWeek Research Center looked at whether schools are giving more or fewer out-of-school assignments, and why.
4 min read
A 15-year-old student works on his homework with a school laptop in Los Angeles, on Sept. 9, 2023. The EdWeek Research Center found that 41% of teachers said homework has decreased, while 33% said it’s remained the same, and 3% said the rate of homework assignments has increased.
A 15-year-old student does homework on a school laptop in Los Angeles on Sept. 9, 2023. Forty-one percent of teachers say the amount of homework they've assigned over the past two years has declined, 33% say it's remained the same and just 3% said it's increased.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Teaching What Lessons Did the Olympics Offer for Educators and Students?
Educators have used the games to emphasize resilience and self-improvement, among other messages.
2 min read
United States players celebrate after beating Canada in overtime in the women's ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026.
United States players celebrate after beating Canada in overtime in the women's ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. The Olympics have been used in schools as important lessons for educators and students.
Carolyn Kaster/AP<br/>