Some of the biggest revelations of the COVID-19 pandemic showed just how difficult it is to be a teacher and how much effort educators put into their incredibly important jobs.
The technological challenges, confusing school guidelines, and emotional hurdles of these famously unprecedented times have only added to their workloads. Throughout it all, many teachers have found an outlet to share their frustrations and funny observations ― on Twitter.
In honor of Teacher Appreciation Day, we’ve rounded up 50 tweets from educators (and a couple of parents) that sum up their jobs over the past 14 months.
Today my second graders told me I look better in a mask than a face shield, and I can’t decide whether to take that as a compliment or a diss.
— Emily Kooistra (@emily_kooistra) September 2, 2020
It doesn't take much to be a great hybrid teacher...
— Nicholas Ferroni (@NicholasFerroni) February 27, 2021
Just top notch tech, perfect WiFi, multiple devices, a clone, an understanding of every online resource, unconditional administrative support, a background in theater and perfect mental health... that's it.
Teaching hybrid is a great way to remind yourself that things can always be worse than you ever imagined.
— Bored Teachers (@Bored_Teachers) March 13, 2021
Student: Ms. T, you're lagging a lot. It's kinda annoying.
— ThatOneBrownTeacher (@sassy_TOC) March 19, 2021
Me: Let me run out and get a computer science degree real quick and see if I can fix that for you.
Me: good morning everyone! How are you? Yes, Maddy, your hand is raised, what’s up?
— semi-professional english teacher (@AlwaysGrading) October 28, 2020
... Maddy?
Maddy you’re muted
Ok we still can’t hear you; I think your headphones are on backwards
Maddy: —hear me now?
Me: yes, what did you want to say?
Maddy: I forgot
When the zoom class ends and students Thank Me for teaching. pic.twitter.com/87SXakFLo8
— Mr Back At It (@mrgil77) February 12, 2021
If you’re a student teacher doing your practicum this year, understand that face coverings are not that out of the ordinary. You as a teacher will be masking your true feelings quite often throughout your career.
— 🧠 Typical EduCelebrity 🧠 (@EduCelebrity) March 22, 2021
Best Google Classroom notification:
— Justin (@JustinAion) January 21, 2021
[Student] has submitted [assignment]
98 days late
During teaching today I was petting my cat and my co-teacher announced it and asked to see the cat. Then no fewer than 60% of the students reached down and pulled THEIR cats up into view of the cameras and suddenly my Zoom squares were all cats and everything was perfect.
— Sarah Williams, PhD (@misanthropologa) September 23, 2020
Student: “I can’t log in.”
— Professor Bitch (@unluckybutter2) September 3, 2020
Me: “Okay, hold on.” *does absolutely nothing* “Can you get in now?”
Student: “Yes.”
Me: pic.twitter.com/lF0OyS4WAJ
You know what never crashed?
— The Modest Teacher (@ModestTeacher) December 14, 2020
My overhead projector.
Admin in 2020: please be prepared to teach online, in person, both simultaneously, on a moving train, while juggling, in a burning building, under the sea, during a wrestling match with a T-Rex, as a hologram, and riding a unicorn. Also be safe and we value you.
— Alexandra Finley (@AlexJFinley) June 23, 2020
My body: What a long and grueling school year this has been.
— Emily Kooistra (@emily_kooistra) September 18, 2020
Calendar: It’s been three weeks.
I asked my students today what keeps them motivated. One of them said "spite."
— Dr. Chris Jones was OVER ON THE BENCH (@ProfChrisMJones) February 15, 2021
Pretty accurate. pic.twitter.com/7bvJFjbUcN
— Bored Teachers (@Bored_Teachers) March 9, 2021
One of the most interesting things I've learned from this pandemic and lockdowns...parents really don't like their children.
— Captain Ani (@TeacherTalk2015) February 25, 2021
[car appreciation parade for child's teacher]
— Rodney Lacroix (@RodLacroix) May 7, 2020
Me [hanging out window with paper]: HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO #5?!?
Yep. pic.twitter.com/YkYlDfN8bE
— Super TeachrLady (@SuperTeachrLady) February 1, 2021
Learning loss is when you spend a month prepping for standardized tests during a pandemic.
— lacetothetop (@lacetothetop) March 19, 2021
I know teaching ages us, but teaching virtually during a pandemic is aging us like...5 times faster.
— Howie Hua (@howie_hua) October 24, 2020
Educators right now: pic.twitter.com/XelI28JuXj
— TeacherGoals (@teachergoals) August 6, 2020
Might retire after this school year so I don’t have to teach 2020.
— Dave Hambleton (@virtualham) January 26, 2021
Hybrid schedule isn't really so bad, as a teacher. It's just that I never remember what "color" day it is, I don't know anyone's name, I forget who I told what, and this week was about two months long.
— Ohio mom of two #BLM 🏳️🌈 (@OhioMomoftwo) September 4, 2020
Other than that, it's fiiiiiiiiine.
My students joked that they may not recognize me next week when we return in-person, so I did this... pic.twitter.com/ctvFxEWeWV
— Nicholas Ferroni (@NicholasFerroni) March 11, 2021
The difference between the teacher who can get their students to turn their cameras on and the teacher who can’t is that one is a damn liar.
— 🧠 Typical EduCelebrity 🧠 (@EduCelebrity) February 23, 2021
Just had a parent email me to demand personal lessons for her daughter while school is closed since “she’s heard” the district created curriculum won’t be good enough. Sorry, Karen. #COVIDー19 #teacherproblems pic.twitter.com/Fy4PupygjY
— Ms. Brown🍻 (@teachthendrink) March 16, 2020
I heard a family member this weekend say “I don’t see why teachers are any different than anyone else who has to go back to work in person.” I responded, “who else has customers that lick everything in site?”
— Trevor Muir (@TrevorMuir) August 5, 2020
I accused my students of muting themselves during class today because I didn’t hear laughter after I made a killer joke.
— Dave Hambleton (@virtualham) May 3, 2021
That’s when a kid reminded me we’re back in the classroom and I’m actually teaching them in person.
Those who think kids can’t write a full essay haven’t seen the subject lines of emails they send to their teachers.
— 🧠 Typical EduCelebrity 🧠 (@EduCelebrity) March 19, 2021
My lesson plans for teaching online and in person while also meeting the social and emotional needs of students and their parents: pic.twitter.com/uXtxJ0i2Se
— TeacherGoals (@teachergoals) August 26, 2020
People in April 2020:
— Bored Teachers (@Bored_Teachers) April 27, 2021
"Thank you teachers, y'all are absolute saints! If you EVER need anything, let us know!"
People in April 2021:
*crickets*
1sr Grade Teacher: Can anyone think of an addition problem for us? Unmute yourself and tell me!
— Andrew Knott (@aknott21) September 13, 2020
Student: 100+100
Teacher: Oh, wow! Let’s try smaller numbers.
Student: 90+90!
Teacher: Much smaller. Less than 10.
Student: 80+80!
Teacher: It looks like our time is about up.
Kid made my day ...
— Dave Hambleton (@virtualham) April 14, 2021
Me: Makes ten 🔥 jokes in online class.
Thirty muted mics: *crickets*
Me: I HATE THIS!!! Sigh.
*lesson ends*
Student: pic.twitter.com/KIbEuws4Ai
While #teaching #kindergarten on zoom yesterday, one of my students insisted on petting her cat’s face for the entire lesson. Which meant... well... here’s a visual representation of what my view was 🤦🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/MzUNn50QEl
— Joe Dombrowski (@MrDtimes3) February 25, 2021
Is 8.5 weeks left of school too soon to start a ‘____ days till summer break’ countdown on my board?
— I’m That Teacher (@That_Teachr) March 25, 2021
Don’t encourage your students to get a gift card you’d appreciate for Teacher Appreciation Week. I doubt they could even get into the liquor store.
— 🧠 Typical EduCelebrity 🧠 (@EduCelebrity) May 3, 2021
Why is suddenly every virtual teacher putting stickers on their face? pic.twitter.com/Yn9aRnfVn4
— Super TeachrLady (@SuperTeachrLady) November 20, 2020
A student sent me a joke via email and I accidentally responded with “Bahahaha!” instead of “Hahahaha!” and now I feel like I crossed a line. Like “Bahahaha!” is somehow too informal. Anyway ... these are the types of thoughts that consume me and keep me up at night.
— Dave Hambleton (@virtualham) March 15, 2021
Preparing to go back to school on campus step one: Start wearing real pants.
— Emily Kooistra (@emily_kooistra) August 7, 2020
A student returned to in-person learning today.
— Scott Bayer #THEBOOKCHAT co-founder (@Lyricalswordz) April 22, 2021
I said, "Hi, nice to finally meet you in real life!"
They did not say "Hi." Instead they just said, "I thought you were fat. You look fat on Zoom."
Why are teenagers like this 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/iNm7Fxcpnb
Shoutout to teachers who have managed to learn new technology, move classes online, assign and respond to class work, and remain positive all while trying to stay focused during their Zoom sessions while their husband and kids make themselves 8 million snacks in the background.
— Mommy Owl (@Lhlodder) April 4, 2020
My son just sang, “Boat’s n’ Hoe’s” to his elderly choir teacher on zoom so I think that about wraps up homeschool for today.
— Maryfairyboberry🧚🏻♀️ (@maryfairybobrry) May 6, 2020
#TeacherProblems #zoom
— Mr Back At It (@mrgil77) May 7, 2020
Me: *opening zoom for office hours
S: *using the name Joe
Me: I’m sorry, who is Joe
S: Joe MAMMA!
Me:... pic.twitter.com/bLxOR7pmmP
[filling out a "getting to know you" sheet for the teacher]
— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@XplodingUnicorn) August 21, 2020
Me: Do you like math?
6-year-old: No.
Me: Reading?
6: No.
Me: Listening to others?
6: NO.
Teachers don't get paid enough.
what it feels like to try engage middle schoolers on zoom at 8am on a Monday pic.twitter.com/Zl663t4CLD
— semi-professional english teacher (@AlwaysGrading) March 1, 2021
I ask my students to send me photos of their dogs doing class work. It’s an under-appreciated photography genre. pic.twitter.com/oxXFicXmue
— Dr. Marie-Amélie George (@ProfMAGeorge) April 15, 2020
One kid in my google meet, mic muted, is doing the @taylorswift13 TikTok dance and another just told the class that his dad can’t have ice cream bc it makes him poop. 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️😂 not gonna lie, I laughed. Out loud. On camera. #couldnothelpit
— Super TeachrLady (@SuperTeachrLady) September 15, 2020
One my students requested I play his fav song since it’s Friday and he was all the way turnt this morning😂😂🔥 pic.twitter.com/PMixdm1oqh
— Dee Holt ❄️ ➏ (@D_1andOnly_) August 28, 2020
Administrator: How have you grown this year?
— Emily Kooistra (@emily_kooistra) February 4, 2021
Me: Well, I went up a size in my pants.
Administrator: No....
For Teacher Appreciation Week this year can y’all just leave us alone?
— Stephanie Paz (@stephaniempaz) May 1, 2021
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