Tag: Positive School Culture

Talent shows have a long history, and they’ve become more popular than ever with the advent of shows like America’s Got Talent. Hosting a school talent show can be a terrific fundraiser or just a fantastic way to let your students (and teachers!) show off their amazing skills. Here’s what you need to know to plan a good event, plus lots of incredible talent show ideas for kids and adults.

How To Plan a School Talent Show

It takes some work to put together a quality talent show, but seeing kids bask in the cheers of their fellow students makes it all worth the effort. Here are some of the things you’ll want to think about as you prepare for your show.

Show or Contest?

First up, decide whether you want your show to just be a display of incredible talent or if you’d like it to be a judged contest. There are benefits to both, of course, so it simply comes down to whether you want to add another layer of complexity into your planning. If it’s a contest, you’ll need judges and prizes, and you may want to break the acts into different categories. Take some time to consider which option is right for your school.

Audience

Will you be putting on a show for parents, family, and friends, or just for students? This factor will have an impact on a lot of your other details, so figure this out up front. You may need to consider how much room you have, as well as if you’re planning to charge for tickets.

Date and Time

If possible, consider holding your show during the school day. This way, all kids have the chance to participate. After-school events depend on parents’ ability and willingness to participate, and this will always leave some kids out. Remember, you can always livestream the show, or record it and make the video available for parents and friends to watch later.

Also consider how long you want your show to be, since that will determine how many acts you can have. If it’s during the school day, you’ll likely have to fit your show into a very specific time frame. An after-school or evening event can probably run a little long without causing any real problems.

Location

An auditorium or stage can be ideal for talent shows, since it likely has a sound system. Plus, acts can make use of curtains, lights, and other theater elements. But there can be benefits to holding your show in a more open space like a gymnasium too. This could allow kids to use basketball hoops for trick shots or perform bike or skateboard tricks.

Performers

Who will participate in your show? Will you limit it to students to give them a time to shine? Or will you also allow teacher and staff acts? These can be incredibly popular and add a sense of camaraderie to the whole experience. Whatever you decide, aim to make all sorts of participants and talents feel welcome.

Act Guidelines

It’s always important to lay out some ground rules around the talent acts. Consider these factors:

• Length: How much time will each performer have? A good rule of thumb is to limit acts to five minutes or less, including the time it takes for them to set up and get on and off the stage. To really push the creativity, consider limiting acts to one minute or less!
• Type: Will you accept any sort of act, or will they need to fit into predefined categories?
• Equipment: Can acts expect to be allowed to use stage curtains, lights, the sound system, etc.? Or will they need to supply all their own equipment to make their act a success?

Auditions

Even if you plan to allow everyone who’s interested to participate, it’s always a good idea to hold auditions. This will give you an idea in advance of the kinds of acts you can expect, and allow you to weed out any that are inappropriate for your audience. You can also see what type of equipment you’ll need on the big day and get a sense of overall timing.

Emcee

Be sure to line up a charismatic master of ceremonies to announce each act. School principals, drama teachers, or even an enthusiastic student can all make great choices. The emcee should make sure they can pronounce each student or act’s name correctly, and be ready to do a little bit of ad-libbing between performances as each new act gets set up.

Judges

If you’re holding a talent contest, select your judges carefully. If you’re using parents, make sure their kids aren’t performers. Consider inviting a well-known local name to add some excitement, and maybe even add students to the panel.

The judges should decide in advance how they’ll be scoring performances. Will they rate acts on a scale of 1 to 10? Or will they create a scoring guide, assigning point values to different categories? Offer them some guidance, so the ultimate decision can happen quickly and easily at the end of the show.

Advance Run-Through

Hold a run-through a day or so before the actual show if you can. Have each act go on in the order they will perform during the show, so they’ll get an idea of where they need to be and when. This can also help you time everything and sort out any potential issues before they happen.

Other Talent Show Tips

• Consider printing programs with all the performers’ names and act information as keepsakes for all the participants.
• If you’re holding a contest, you might want to give all participants a certificate or other small prize for participating.
• Be open to all sorts of acts, including things you’d never thought of before. Find ways to make things more inclusive. For instance, if a student wants to fold origami or braid hair, or perform some other talent that’s best seen up close, you could arrange to have their act shown up-close by projecting it onto a screen or monitor. Or kids might submit a video for something that can’t easily be performed onstage.
• Watch out for messy acts that may leave things behind on the stage that could cause problems for the next performance. Remind each act they’ll be responsible for thoroughly cleaning up after themselves, and encourage everyone to check the stage before they perform to make sure it’s safe for them.

Top 10 Unique Talent Show Ideas

Want to do something a little out of the ordinary? Try one of these ideas!

More Talent Show Ideas for Kids and Adults

Pretty much anything can be a talent if you present it the right way. If you’ve got any of these skills or talents, you can put together a terrific act!

Here are even more talent show ideas:

• Sing or rap
• Dance routine or dance medley
• Karate or martial arts demo
• Lip-synch routine
• Magic tricks
• Impersonation
• Play an instrument
• Perform as a band
• Cheer routine
• Gymnastics
• Skit
• Recitation or monologue
• Jump-rope tricks
• Yo-yo tricks
• Acrobatics
• Puppet show
• Ventriloquist act
• Comedy routine
• Impressions
• Mime
• Science experiment/demonstration
• Juggling
• Hand-clapping routine
• Pogo stick tricks
• Unicycling
• Roller-skating routine
• Dramatic reading
• Beatbox
• Pet tricks
• Mental arithmetic
• Whistling
• Improv comedy
• Storytelling
• Baton twirling
• DJ act
• Ribbon twirling
• Bike tricks
• Skateboard tricks
• Bucket drumming
• Breakdancing
• Vocal mimicry
• Rap battle
• Song parody

What are some of your favorite unique talent show ideas? Come share in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook!

Plus, check out these Pep Rally Activities and Games for Kids of All Ages.

Like any profession, educators have their own language. And like any language, eduspeak has its own buzzwords, terms, and catchphrases that teachers can’t stand. In a Reddit post started by user dw1210, teachers have begun opening up about the silliest, cringiest lingo at their school.

What makes a term “cringey”?

When it comes to the descriptor “cringey”—an adjective meaning to cause acute feelings of embarrassment or awkwardness—it can be difficult to explain why a term has this effect. However, when it comes to school terminology, there are a few recurring reasons teachers might flinch when they hear a new (or commonly used) term at school.

The term might:

Often, principals and administrators decide on new terms without getting feedback from faculty. While this is understandable due to time constraints, it’s also understandable why a decision made in a small group might sound silly or not well thought-out when presented to a group of people with a wider range of experiences and knowledge.

Let’s take a look at what teachers are sharing as their school’s cringiest lingo:

Chromies

“My school calls a Chromebook a ‘Chromie’ 🤮” —dw1210

Scholars

“Students are ‘scholars.’” —dave78792000

Couglets and Head Cougar

“Okay, the mascot is a Cougar, the freshmen are ‘Couglets’ and the female principal doesn’t like being called The Head Cougar for some reason 🤔” —savemysoul72

It’s Cougar Time

“A school I used to work at had a very dumb 20-minute homeroom/tutor thing called ‘Cougar Time.’” —DangerousDesigner734

The Curiosity Center

“Our library is called ‘the curiosity center,’ our cafeteria is called ‘the connections cafe’ …” —MildMooseMeetingHus

Clients

“Retired college teacher here. Management at my college once wanted staff and faculty to start calling students ‘clients.’ Faculty laughed and ignored it. Time passed, and another stupid ‘new initiative’ went down the memory hole.” —WilliamTindale8

Family matters

“‘Family.’ We are ‘a family.’ The students, the staff, the parents. Everyone.” —Mountain-Ad-5384

Ramily matters

“Our mascot is a ram. They call us a ‘Ramily’ and all our PDs are called ‘Ram Camps.’” —ConsistentTune4406

Restore at the door

“‘Restore at the door’ = ‘do anything except send a rude disrespectful kid to admin.’” —ADHTeacher

Extended constructed response

“This is a state one, but I HATE calling an essay an extended constructed response. Are we trying to make things more confusing for students?” —InterestingPoint6

Mandatory after-school study session

“Detention is ‘mandatory after-school study session.’ Several of us have brought up that this equates studying with punishment, but they ‘haven’t found a better term yet,’ since detention has ‘negative connotations.’” —bencass

Blue point drill

“Sometime in the last few years, they changed ‘active shooter drill’ to ‘blue point drill.’ I hate this so much because I feel like by calling it ‘blue point’ instead of what it actually is waters down the severity of the situation at hand. So after ‘school shooting’ became more common, their choice was to change the name so it scares less kids. How about actually working towards STOPPING bullying and stuff like that that actually causes shootings? Goodness gracious. This is coming from a 10th grader btw I am NOT a teacher, I just like to observe this sub.” —Accomplished-Fall823

Lady ganders

“My high school mascot was a gander and all of the girl sports teams were called ‘Lady Ganders’ and it drove me crazy that they weren’t called geese.” —Pitterpatter35

Power walks and power zones

“Observations are renamed ‘power walks,’ and monitoring students by walking around is called the ‘power zone.’ I absolutely despise this practice. Some educational researcher renames a word that we already have in order to sell their program. Miss me.” —KingFlameFuoco

Pirate principal

“We’re the pirates and my principal leads every email with ‘ahoy me hearties’ and also refers to us as the ‘Krewe.’ Completely without irony.” —lnsewn12

Guest educators

“The district I used to work for calls subs ‘guest educators.’ I don’t know why we couldn’t just call them ‘subs’ like every other district around us does.” —shab00dle

Navigating the ever-evolving landscape of school terminology can be a challenge for educators. While language is dynamic and constantly evolving, some terms inevitably fall into the cringe realm. Whether it’s buzzwords that lack substance or clichéd phrases that have lost their impact, principals have the ability to foster more genuine and effective communication. By staying mindful of language choices, running new choices through a “focus group,” and prioritizing authenticity, those in charge can create a curiosity center—sorry, a school—where meaningful dialogue thrives.

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There’s no shortage of magic in the life of a teacher. The lightbulb moment when a child learns something new. The herculean sense of accomplishment in June and the buzzy excitement in August. But there’s one special magic only teachers will understand: the teacher bestie.

The teacher bestie can come from anywhere, but often they’re another teacher you come to know from working closely with them. But whether they’re across the hall or on the other side of the school, they’re someone who makes the journey of educating young minds a whole lot brighter.

What’s this teacher bestie magic about?

There are many things that set a teacher bestie apart from a traditional buddy or friend. First, there’s the shared understanding. This person—better than a spouse, partner, family, or friends—knows what you’re going through because they’re right there in the trenches with you.

Then, there’s the collaboration. Having a teacher bestie means you have a built-in brainstorm partner and someone to share resources with (or commiserate with when things don’t go according to plan).

But perhaps most importantly, there’s the unwavering support. Your teacher bestie is the first to celebrate your wins alongside you, and the first to offer a shoulder to lean on when things get difficult. They’re always in your corner.

Teacher TikToker @primarywithdaniela captured this magic oh-so sweetly in this video with her teacher bestie:

What we love about this teacher bestie TikTok

The entire TikTok from start to finish is adorable. But certain parts in particular really warmed our hearts:

• The matching: Whether it happens on purpose or by accident, taking on the appearance of “twinning” is just plain fun. We love the teacher’s reaction when she realizes their outfits match.
• Getting a peek at teaching in Australia: “Rock up.” DOTT. Their accents. We should definitely have more opportunities for teachers to spend a semester abroad.
• The comfort level: Proofreading each other’s emails is an act of trust!
• The weirdness. Case in point: the doorway dance. Being weird together is one of the many perks of finding a best friend at work.

What other teachers are saying:

Suffice it to say, teachers are loving this TikTok. Many weighed in to say they wanted a teacher bestie of their own:

Others offered suggestions for leveling up their friendship:

Some weighed in with the teacher BFF pairs they remember from their time in school as students:

Clearly, @primarywithdaniela captured the magic of having a teacher bestie with this sweet TikTok. Many thanks to her for sharing! You can follow Daniela on TikTok—check out this hilarious one about things we end up Googling as teachers!

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Dear We Are Teachers,

I was interviewing for a new position this week, and the interviewer said over and over how their school is “like a family.” This phrase has always rubbed me the wrong way, and I told him so. Four hours later, I got a rejection email saying I’m “not a good culture fit.” What? Since when are we supposed to have the same intimacy level at work as we do in our own families?

—not your fam

Dear N.Y.F.,

Yeah, schools need to stop using this comparison.

I know schools say this with positive intentions. They want to communicate certain positive ideals about the way they operate. But sometimes, “we’re a family” can be used to exploit teachers’ goodwill. The issue boils down to this: Not all families are healthy families.

Let me tell you about two different schools I worked at, both of which I would say were “like a family.”

How school #1 was “like a family”:

• We anticipated each other’s needs and filled in where we could, knowing there would be times we would need support in return.
• We all fully trusted our principal and knew she wanted what was best for each of us, personally and professionally.
• There was a deep respect for each other, even in conflict and disagreement.
• I knew I could depend on my coworkers and administrators and vice versa.

How school #2 was “like a family”:

• We had a deeply unhinged matriarch who offered to reward us for ratting on our “siblings.”
• Anyone who challenged the matriarch’s authority was grounded, so to speak.
• The matriarch had definite favorites, creating a culture of fear and secrecy.
• They expected 100% compliance on things way beyond our job description.
• There was lots of unethical stuff happening below the surface.

See? Now you know why I still shudder when I hear school #2 mentioned conversationally.

Even though schools need to drop the family metaphor, I don’t think this phrase is always indicative of a toxic culture.

Was the place where you interviewed comprised of a good family or a bad family? I guess you won’t know. Maybe next time, see what you can gather by saying, “I would love to hear more about how you’re a family. What does that mean at your school?”   

Dear We Are Teachers,

I have a new 8th grader this semester whose parent is a friend of mine in our neighborhood. The first few weeks were fine, and my friend was thrilled that “finally, a teacher understands our Zane!” But now, behaviors are starting to emerge that show me why he’s had such a hard time. He argues back about the littlest things (like why he can’t write in highlighter), says rude things to his classmates (like pointing out another student’s shoes are Chinese knockoffs of a more popular brand), and gets very riled up in response to criticism. How do I tell my neighborhood friend that she hasn’t had a string of bad teachers—Zane is the common denominator?

—It’s you, hi, you’re the problem, it’s you

Dear I.Y.H.Y.T.P.I.Y.,

Ooh, yikes. How about you don’t say anything and hire a paid lookalike to replace you for the rest of the teaching year.

But if you don’t have the cash to hire that actor, here’s what you do.

“Lisa, I want to talk to you about something. First of all, Zane is a good kid and I’m thrilled he’s in my class. There are a couple of soft skills I want to work on with him one-on-one. He’s not in trouble—I just think he needs practice. I think mastering these skills could be huge advantages when it comes to recommendation letters, applications, and opportunities he might want that tend to come up in high school. Would it be OK to work with him during lunch next week? I want to make sure he has every advantage.”

Likely, she will ask what these soft skills are, and you can say things like communication, positive leadership skills, and conflict resolution.

This response accomplishes the following:

• It positions you as someone who believes in and likes her kid. This will go SO FAR with a parent who strikes me as terrified for her son’s success.
• It shows the parent you want to set Zane up for success instead of punishing him for his weaknesses.
• If a week of working on these soft skills doesn’t help and you need to move to more traditional disciplinary options, you’re at least giving your friend and her child the benefit of the doubt first.

But in my experience, middle schoolers learn unbelievably quickly when they’re asked to miss lunch with their friends to practice. We’re talking breakneck speeds.

Dear We Are Teachers,

I’m in my 12th year of teaching and, like many teachers right now, I’m really struggling. How do you know whether you’re just struggling temporarily or completely burned out?

—ash or ember?

Dear A.O.E.,

First off, big virtual hugs to you. Even temporary struggles in teaching can feel really, really hard.

When it comes to deciphering whether it’s a rough patch or full-blown burnout, let’s break it down.

Signs it’s a rough patch:

• Something new is happening. Maybe you are teaching a new prep this year or became a parent. Adjustments are always tricky, no matter what the “new” thing is, but they’re often not permanent.
• You can compartmentalize what’s hard. Being able to pinpoint stressors is a good sign that a rough patch hasn’t moved into burnout. Being able to say, “If I could just get my 6th period under control …” or “If I could just get my child in a daycare closer to work …” indicates that not everything feels unmanageable.
• The activities and people you love still bring you joy (even if you don’t have as much time as you used to for them). You might not feel like late-night concerts or marathon training during the school year. But if most of the activities and people you love still bring you joy on weekends and breaks, that’s a good sign that your stress isn’t at a point of no return.
• You dream of finding your unicorn school. If you think a new school might hold the answer, chances are you’re not burned out on teaching altogether.

Signs it’s burnout:

• You don’t want to try a new school. Or you’re already at your unicorn school.
• You can’t compartmentalize what’s hard. When it all feels like too much to manage, that might be a sign that you’ve been trying to problem-solve for too long now.
• Feeling cynical, bitter, or jaded. There are aspects of teaching (or any profession) that anyone with experience is cynical about. But when you start to feel bitter about the parts you once loved (the first day of school, the kids, summer), you might be ready for a new adventure.
• Your gut says it’s time. I get questions a lot from teachers along the lines of, “I feel like it’s time for me to leave the classroom, but …,” and I always think: Stop there. If you feel like it’s time for you to leave the classroom, your heart has been ruminating on this in the background for a while now. Trust that your gut knows what it’s doing.

If you do think you’re burned out, don’t panic. Recognizing burnout doesn’t mean you need to resign immediately. I think I was burned out three times in my career, but two instances were completely revived by a school/district change. And honestly, my first round of burnout (2 years in) was way more stressful and life-altering than my final burnout (11 years in).

Whether you’re going through a rough patch or experiencing burnout, the important thing is to respond. Listen to what your body and heart are telling you. Lean on your support system and make the changes that are under your control.

Do you have a burning question? Email us at askweareteachers@weareteachers.com.

Dear We Are Teachers,

For my first two years of teaching 7th grade math, the big feedback was to improve my classroom management. Now that I’m in my third year and have my class under control, the feedback I’m getting is to make my lessons more “entertaining.” The last lesson where I got this feedback, students were designing mazes! I don’t know how to do this, short of putting my lessons on TikTok. Should teachers be entertaining, or should I push back that this isn’t on my evaluation criteria? 

—WENT TO TEACHING COLLEGE, NOT CLOWN COLLEGE

If you’re a seasoned TikToker, you’re well aware of the “of course” trend. “I work the night shift—of course I never know what day it is.” “We’re teachers—of course we’re trained to hold our bladders for eight hours a day.” “I’m an admin—of course I’m going to schedule a fire drill at the worst possible time.” One of our favorites in this trend? The teacher’s kid.

@l.neal is a TikTok creator, teacher, and mom to adorable Raegan—the star of this particular TikTok all about the perks and pitfalls of being a teacher’s kid.

Here’s the TikTok:

What we love about this teacher’s-kid TikTok:

• Mrs. Neal puts her kid to work! It looks like Rae could probably teach a whole class if she needed to!
• Raegan was clearly born to act. We love seeing kids do what they love and are good at—and parents who support it!
• This TikTok’s follow-ups, including Part 2 (“I’m a teachers’ kid, of course the games on my iPad are educational.” LOL) and Part 3 (“I’m a teacher’s kid, of course I know the other teachers’ first names. Hi, Lori! Hi, Amanda!”).

What others are saying

The comment section is awash with validation from other teachers’ kids:

(Not going to lie—it’s still kind of thrilling as a teacher!)

Some commenters shared funny observations:

But plenty of responders offered additional ideas:

A mass apology to all the TKs out there.

No lies detected!

My personal favorite!

For more content from @l.neal

Follow @l.neal on TikTok! One of her other top TikToks made me laugh out loud: the desk, cubbies, computer cords of Type A teachers versus Type B teachers. The end is so cute!

Many thanks to @l.neal for sharing this hilarious and adorable video!

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Teachers are forces of incredible creativity. We stand in awe of their engaging lessons. The strategies they create to reach every student. And now, their teacher glamour shots.

You remember them. (Or if you don’t remember them, you’ve probably seen them online.) Teased hair. Special jackets. Soft lighting. Awkward hand placement on a sibling or parent per the photographer’s creative direction.

Kindergarten teacher and content creator Lindsey Vela of @lessonplansandvans posted this TikTok recently of her teaching team’s recent foray into glamour photography. And let me tell you: We can’t get enough.

Check it out for yourself:

How fun is this?

What we love about these teacher glamour shots:

The awkward hand on the shoulder

Anyone who has sat for a church directory, Sear’s, or other professional photo in the 1990s can feel the pain. Nailed it.

This is an activity any team can get behind

This didn’t demand elaborate costumes, expensive props, or time-consuming details. Everyone has something in their closet they can use for glamour shots, whether you go denim like Lindsey’s team, pop the collar of a leather jacket, or just throw a feather boa into the mix.

It’s fun for the sake of being fun

Teachers work unbelievably hard to make things fun for their students. But what I love about this team is that they did something fun for themselves. Adults need play, too!

It spreads the cheer school-wide

We love that they gave these photos as a gift to their principal and printed postcards for each teacher mailbox.

What other people are saying about Lindsey’s teacher glamour shots:

To no one’s surprise, TikTok loves these teacher glamour shots. Here are just a few of the comments applauding Lindsey and her team:

Poster size is the only way.

Perhaps all your team needs is a glamour-shots bonding experience!

We’re right there with you, James.

Teacher glamour shots have so many possibilities beyond a principal Christmas gift. Yearbook portraits, anyone?

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