Teaching middle school is certainly not for the weak, but it can be so much fun for the right person! Middle school students are a wonderful mix of young children and young adults. While it can be an awkward age, it can still be magical at times. Middle school students can understand complex issues and have in-depth discussions, but they can also be silly. April Fools’ Day is popular for those who enjoy being silly, which includes plenty of middle schoolers! If you’re considering getting in on the fun this year, keep reading for the best ideas for funny April Fools’ pranks and jokes in your middle school class!
Trick them with a reading passage about April Fools’ Day
I created a differentiated reading passage about the history of April Fools’ Day. This passage, written at two reading levels, discusses how April Fools’ day came to be. This resource also includes a differentiated context clues activity, short answer reading comprehension questions, and a writing assignment. That’s not all, though! I couldn’t create a resource about April Fools’ Day and not get in on the fun! The resource also includes three prank worksheets that ask students questions that don’t have correct answer options and questions that are way too advanced for them. This is a great way to get in on the fun while also sticking to the standards!
Refer to an imaginary teacher all day
It is important to remember not to take April Fools’ pranks and jokes in your middle school classroom too far! Announcing that you are quitting or moving at the beginning of the day could really ruin the day for your students, so make sure to keep things lighthearted. One very simple thing you could do is reference an imaginary teacher who works at the school over the day. Talk about the field trips your students went on with her class. You could even let one student be in on it and ask them to take something to the imaginary teacher’s classroom!
Fake Assignments Make Great April Fools’ Pranks
It wasn’t for April Fools’ Day, but when I was in high school, my math teacher scheduled a quiz. On the day of the quiz, he passed out questions that honestly looked like they were in another language. I didn’t have a clue how to solve any of the problems. Several minutes of my classmates and me sitting and panicking passed until he told us to stop. He said it was an assignment he had in college. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief as he passed out the actual quiz. I don’t remember much about that math class, but I will never forget that! You can easily do something similar! You could create an assignment with college-level essay questions. Just don’t let the joke go on for too long because that might be too much for students who are very grade-conscious.
Middle schoolers are full of chaotic energy, and that’s also kind of the best thing about them. Make this April Fools’ Day one to remember with your silly students by using some of these best ideas for funny April Fool’s pranks and jokes in middle school!
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