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Top 10 Pranks on Teachers (the Last One is the Icing on the Cake)

When I was in high school, I had a naive neighbor that used to be the target of my little pranks. One morning, for example, she asked me why my parents accompanied me to school almost everyday. I answered, with a serious look, that I was running around playfully with a classmate during our break, when suddenly, I had a colossal collision with the teacher and she ended up with a broken leg. To avoid other “casualties”, I was thus guarded in shifts at my school by my parents. The neighbor… actually believed me. The truth was, however, of a less complicated nature: we all used the car because the family wanted to reach their destinations quicker.

In college, I started doing even more pranks. I actually hit the nail from the first one: I managed to “scare” my family, classmates, friends – old and new. The reality is, I was in a long-distance relationship. Based on this fact, I spread the word that I was getting married. Everyone took the bait, including my family. My parents had a very bad opinion about their “future son-in-law”, so the cruel fate separated us between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. But on the day of the cancelled “wedding”, as a continuation of the prank, my ex called me to wish me a long-lasting marriage.

From then on I stopped doing pranks. Today I’m using April Fools, however, to announce the wackiest plans for my future, hoping that everyone will take it as a prank and no one will become hysterical enough about it to try and virtually stop me.


That’s Right, Why Is April Fools’ on the 1st of April?!

Around the 21st of March, the spring equinox occurs in the Northern Hemisphere and the weather is almost always quirky around this period. It is possible that people felt they were pranked so many times by the nature that they started pranking one another as well.

The historians found a precursor of April Fools’. In ancient Rome, a festival called “Hilaria” took place at the end of March. As part of this festival, the 25th of March was dedicated to “jollity” 1)Religions of the Hellenistic-Roman Age” by Antonia Tripolitis, book published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. in 2001. People were allowed to dress up and mimic anyone, even the magistrates, without fearing that all this could turn against them. No one was allowed to get mad.

Medieval Carnival

Many other similar traditions seem to have existed over time in different parts of Europe, but there is little evidence discovered by historians. What a shame, a history of pranks is something that all pupils would have gladly learned about.

But the event that can be seen as the beginning of April Fools’ the way we know today has an interesting background. The Romans used a calendar they kept stumbling upon. In 46 b.C., Julius Caesar decided to end this confusion and present a more coherent calendar. But because both mathematics and astronomy is complicated, it didn’t end up being too accurate, as after hundreds of years the months no longer matched the seasons. The Astronomers re-calculated it and discovered a better formula for leap years. Pope Gregory the III issued this new system, called the Gregorian calendar, in 1582. The catholic countries from southern Europe soon adopted it 2)The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy” by James Evans, book published by Oxford University Press in 1998. (Before the rest of the world decided it would be a good idea, a few more hundreds of years passed. Thus, hilarious events occurred, such as the one from Russia, where the so-called October Revolution actually took place in November.)

During the Middle Ages, Europeans celebrated the New Year for a whole week, starting with the Annunciation. They started on the 25th of March and ended it on the 1st of April.

Among the changes brought by the Gregorian calendar is also the fact that New Year’s Eve was not celebrated on the 1st of April anymore, but on the 1st of January. At that time, people weren’t accustomed to laying on their couches and watching the news on TV every evening or spending all day on Facebook, so mistakes and confusions kept appearing, as information did not travel as quickly. Some still celebrated New Year’s Eve on the 1st of April. In France, these ones became the target of people’s jokes and pranks. On their backs, pranksters stuck fish made of paper, which were named “poisson d’avril” (“April fish”), symbolizing the fact that they were easy to “be caught”. This practice is considered the beginning of April Fools’ Day 3)French Festivals and Traditions” by Nicolette Hannam and Michelle Williams, book published by Brilliant Publications in 2011.

poisson d'avril

The British were a bit slower as well. The New Year’s Eve was officially moved on the 1st of January in 1752. Pranks came shortly after. In Scotland, for example, this custom lasts two days, each day with its own significance. It starts with the Cross Hunt (birds that symbolize the fools), where the pranks consist of giving out fake chores and tasks 4)Curious Country Customs” by Jeremy Hobson, book published by David & Charles in 2012. “Call the boss” is still practiced on the 1st of April today. The fun continues with the second day named Taily Day, when anyone may realize that they have a “tail” hanging of their clothes, or the ever hilarious sign, “Kick Me” stuck on their backs.

Darth Vader pranked

Top 10 Pranks Done in a Classroom

Now that our little history lesson is over, let’s get down to business. We’ll admire the pranks of pupils – the best in the world. And because I know you’re eager to find out some new pranks as well, I will give you some ideas.

  1. No phone calls during the lesson!

    Does it sound familiar? To me it does, it terrorized me half of my school years, because during the other half, I didn’t have a phone. There are teachers that severely punish such mistakes, so why not have a little fun when you have the opportunity?

    We are dealing with a teacher that discourages the usage of mobile phones: he has a rule that if you disturb the class because you forget to turn off your phone and you get a call, you must answer it on speaker. The teacher, however, remains shocked when he hears that his pupil was called by a “clinic” to tell her that… she’s pregnant! The girl has very good self-control, and the prank ends with an apotheosis as the name of the future baby is disclosed… April! April Fools, of course.

    Prank ideas for a classroom
    Talk to one of your friends from outside your school and have them call you during the class. Answer and “mistakenly” put the mobile phone on speaker. The message must be as serious as it can, like: your girlfriend makes a jealous scene because you like the teacher too much, or a buddy blackmails you about modifying the grades from the class book, or your neighbor has just found out that you punctured his tire, or you are called to the police station for a shady cause, etc. Everything is about how much imagination you have and how you can “calibrate” the prank for the “victim” (as it can be easy to go overboard). Do not forget to get someone to take a photo of the unlucky one’s funny facial expression!
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  2. A prank to die of laughter

    This is a pretty common prank in South America. It is ideal to prank someone that teaches the mother tongue or a foreign language. In Spanish, the question addressed to the victim is: “¿Profe, como se dice: muéransen o muéranse?” An approximate equivalent in English would be: “How do you say: you die or you dies?” Obviously, the teacher will choose the first variant. When the answer comes, the reaction is… mortally hilarious!

  3. On the go

    To some the previous joke might have seemed a bit sinister, as there is another variant to it. In Spanish (once again), the trick question is: “¿Profe, como se dice: vayansen o vayanse?” Meaning: “How do you say: all leave or all leaves?” If the stupidity of the question is irritable, it’s even better: the answer might sound like an order. Anyway, in the end, you can’t say the teacher didn’t… say it!

  4. Double meaning

    South-American pupils sure seem a bit more prankish than others. Here’s another crazy one. A pupil asks one day: “¿Profe, se puede correr?” in Spanish, meaning both “Can we clear the table?” and “Can we clear off?” with the meaning of “Can we run away?”. Obviously the teacher thought the children wanted to erase the table, so the answer was positive. The pupils, however, used the other meaning of the sentence and started running like crazy through the classroom.

    Prank ideas in classroom
    Now that you figured out how it works, you can let your imagination run wild. Try the opposite way: think about something that all your classmates can do, the verb to command an action should be obvious, and all that’s left is formulating a smart question to include that verb. The hardest part is trying to convince everyone to do that thing. If there’s someone who doesn’t want to, the joke won’t be that hilarious anymore.
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  5. Don't stop believin' that everything's a joke

    American pupils are pretty good at flash mobs. During a history class, they started singing a capella the song “Don’t Stop Believin” by Journey. As if this wasn’t enough, they even had choreography.

    As it can be seen, the teacher was terribly amused and loved the moment until the end. Her husband was even more delighted. He showed the clip with the prank to the producers of “Glee” and next summer the kids were invited to make an appearance in an episode from the TV show (the whole classroom is part of a concert audience).

    Prank ideas for a classroom
    A flash mob prank is a great idea! There is a lot of fun involved and no one would have reasons to get mad. If you can even find out the victim’s favorite song, you’re set. True, it isn’t such an easy-breezy task, and it needs some rehearsal, but it can become a memorable event. This is why it deserves being caught on camera, so that all the internet can have a good laugh as well.
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  6. The coolest way of taking notes during class

    Taking advantage of the fact that in college you have more freedom than in high-school, a Czech student came to class with a typewriter. With calmness, he took it out of the box, put it on the desk, and started taking down notes. During the quietness of the class the sounds made by the typewriter obviously attracted everyone’s attention. Meanwhile, the teacher was going on with the lesson: “It has an interface, buttons, inputs, outputs, connectors. It even has speakers, USB, and wireless connection, circuits… Is anyone here taking notes on a typewriter? I had one when I was your age boy, but the moths have eaten its dust already.”

    Low and behold: can’t you be old-fashioned anymore? I wonder, what was going through the teacher’s mind? Everyone but the student from the back with the typewriter had a laptop. What’s next? Someone coming with parchment to take notes?

    Prank ideas for classroom
    The main idea is to find something very different from what we use today. You can start writing with a quill dipped in ink. Or do the calculations with an abacus (if you know how to use a slide rule, you’re already cool). You can even buy a classic telephone headset that can be connected to your smartphone and then have someone call you. Or you can dress up the way our parents or grandparents did during their times when at school or college.
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  7. Our savior is closer than you might think

    This prank seems simple, but it’s very effective. All you need is a Superman costume and some acting skills. The student suddenly arises in the middle of the lecture and says loudly into the phone: “What?! I’ll be right there!” The rest is legend.

  8. Zorro at college

    It seems that students have a passion for interpreting the most diverse of characters. Some take it to a whole new level.

    This time, the lecture hall is attacked by a rather old-fashioned bandit. A mariachi suddenly appears in the corner of the hall and starts singing… Zorro’s theme song! Obviously the guy did not visit school too often. Instead of humbly going back to his place, as he was already late, our Zorro started a vicious fight with the bandit. They dueled with their swords until Zorro got him, all on the musical background provided by the mariachi. The ending is even funnier.

    The teacher, however, showing that he has some humor as well, brought a last contribution to this event consisting of some oxygen and hydrogen bonds. Cool, huh?

    Prank ideas for classroom
    If you are in a theatrical phase, you can find all kinds of pranks and parodies. For example, you can even prepare a small scene, that starts from a day-to-day problem, and then the dialogue moves to an exchange of lines from a well-known movie or play. You can take something from a play like “The Lesson” of Eugene Ionesco. Or a boy and a girl can exchange notes with lines from “Romeo and Juliet” until the teacher notices it. When she starts reading them, she will realize it was a prank.
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  9. A martial prank

    For the few teens that haven’t heard, Mortal Kombat is a game filled with violence. Its success was immense, and yet the producers still went bankrupt. The game is especially known among the girls who came out of a relationship because the partner was more interested in the game.

    Mortal Kombat was such a hit, that in the middle of a class, some guys barged in, dressed up in the costumes that represented the fighters in the game, and started fighting. The musical background from the game was assured by someone from the back. They fought, destroyed each other, and finally, ran away as if nothing had happened.

  10. You have to see this!

    Some pranks are hard to describe. You simply have to watch them. This one is so crazy, that you risk going crazy as well!

    Youtube video player

    Did you like it? What, you haven’t seen it yet?! Come on, try again! Your mouse hasn’t yet broken down. Neither did you, nervously. But if it happens, just put the fault on the 1st of April.

There are many other crazy ideas that can be put into practice. It’s all about imagination and noticing the psychological traits of the prank victim. However, be careful that you don’t go overboard with the trick, otherwise the consequences that you will face might get the same. Optimum dosage and intelligent humor are the key to success. Good luck with your prank!


Andreea Iovita
Article exclusively written for Miratico by Andreea Iovita
Andreea Iovita has many achievements in the art of writing, from a blog featured on TV to a book about female motorcycle riders.
The 10th prank and the other prank ideas were made by Lucian Velea
Lucian Velea is the founder of Miratico and many other online projects.

References

References
1 Religions of the Hellenistic-Roman Age” by Antonia Tripolitis, book published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. in 2001
2 The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy” by James Evans, book published by Oxford University Press in 1998
3 French Festivals and Traditions” by Nicolette Hannam and Michelle Williams, book published by Brilliant Publications in 2011
4 Curious Country Customs” by Jeremy Hobson, book published by David & Charles in 2012

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3 thoughts on “Top 10 Pranks on Teachers (the Last One is the Icing on the Cake)”

  1. A friend of mine used a good site to pull a similar prank…. SWIM sent an anonymous mass text to his class saying that school was canceled for the day (it was snowing lightly outside… so it was actually believable sort of lol). Lets just say the prank was on the teacher and the rest of the class hahaha.

  2. i love pranks thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

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