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
Special Education Webinar
Bridging the Math Gap: What’s New in Dyscalculia Identification, Instruction & State Action
Discover the latest dyscalculia research insights, state-level policy trends, and classroom strategies to make math more accessible for all.
Content provided by TouchMath
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
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Belonging as a Leadership Strategy for Today’s Schools
Belonging isn’t a slogan—it’s a leadership strategy. Learn what research shows actually works to improve attendance, culture, and learning.
Content provided by Harmony Academy
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
School & District Management Webinar
Too Many Initiatives, Not Enough Alignment: A Change Management Playbook for Leaders
Learn how leadership teams can increase alignment and evaluate every program, practice, and purchase against a clear strategic plan.
Content provided by Otus

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 From Our Research Center Are Schools Assigning Less Homework? A New Survey Offers Answers
The EdWeek Research Center looked at whether schools are 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/>
Teaching Opinion The World Seems Intent on Stripping Teaching of Its Sacredness. Don't Let It
Christopher Emdin explains how to make school feel like a sanctuary in troubled times.
6 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 Opinion How Can Educators Teach in These Turbulent Times?
To quell the anxiety of the chaos, make your teaching more human, not more heroic.
9 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