14 Brilliantly Creative Ways Teachers Have Taught Students In School

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Thank you to the teachers who inspire us to think outside of the box. If you’re a teacher and part of an educational or professional organization, you could save money with GEICO. Click here to see if you qualify for discounts.

Recently, we asked the BuzzFeed Community and educators for examples of creative lessons they've experienced or taught in the classroom.

With Teacher Appreciation Week coming up, it's a great opportunity to celebrate the amazing teachers in our lives. Thank you for educating the leaders of tomorrow with creative lesson plans inside the classroom and out!

monkeybusinessimages / Getty Images

Without further ado, here are some of the awesome submissions.

1. This teacher who cooks up exciting escape rooms for his students.

Ty Cook / Via instagram.com

Ty Cook is a life sciences teacher who enjoys creating unique learning experiences for his middle school students. In his "Escape the Operating Room" challenge, students must correctly solve puzzles about human body systems in order to "save Mr. Cook's life!"

If you're curious about his classroom setup for the escape room and want to create your own, you can check out Mr. Cook's YouTube and Teachers Pay Teachers page. And while you're at it, give a listen to his podcast where he interviews other amazing teachers.

2. A teacher who taught us that writing cursive can be messy (but rewarding)!

LoveTheWind / Getty Images

"In second grade, my teacher taught us to write in cursive by smearing shaving cream across the tops of our desks. I remember how messy and fun it was to learn!"

—justamandat

3. This teacher who made fractions fun!

Brianajackson / Getty Images

"When I was in sixth grade, my math teacher brought my whole class down to the gym and had us do donkey kicks/handstands to teach us about reciprocals in fractions. Us physically flipping our bodies represented that when a fraction's numerator and denominator flip, it’s a reciprocal."

—megane4cca5127f

4. This teacher who showcases how the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell in a sweet way!

Josie Bensko / Via instagram.com

Josie Bensko is a middle school science teacher who makes STEM look super fun! Her students have learned the different parts of plant cells through edible candies, done experiments about thermal energy with glow sticks, and even reconsidered what they thought a scientist could look like! Visit her Teachers Pay Teachers page for more inspiring learning materials.

5. This teacher who walked the walk and danced the dance.

Vanish_point / Getty Images

"My Spanish teacher in high school was incredible. Not only did she want us to learn the language, but she also wanted us to appreciate the culture. Every year, she brought in Spanish flamenco and salsa dancers to teach students about historical Spanish music and dance. We learned the basic movements and got to practice for the entire class."

—angelav45d8cf1a3

6. This teacher with the amazing idea of "learning, but make it fashion!"

Natee127 / Getty Images

"I do an 'ABC fashion show' each year once my kindergartners learn all their letters. Everyone gets a letter. They find and cut out that letter from donated magazines. The final step is decorating a vest with their finds. It’s become such an event the whole school attends. I hope my kids forever remember this!"

—kmolsza

7. This teacher who showcases how podcasts are excellent tools for learning!

Haylee Harwick / Via instagram.com

Haylee Harwick is a fifth grader teacher who uses the power of podcasts to show their full potential. She often uses them in her classroom to teach her students how to write descriptive narratives and obtain critical listening skills. If you check out Mrs. Harwick's Teachers Pay Teachers page, you can find great lesson plans utilizing kid-friendly podcasts. And because she loves podcasts so much, she even records her own titled, "Tales Of Teaching."

8. A teacher who was definitely NOT a stick in the mud!

Coldsnowstorm / Getty Images

"I had a professor for a class about learning to live in other cultural contexts. He knew I was having trouble learning to drive, so for a “class determined assignment,” he taught our entire class how to drive a stick shift — IN HIS OWN CAR. This was a legit assignment because in many other countries manual transmission cars are what are most prevalent. He taught 30 of us how to drive a stick and didn’t single me out even though I was the most uncomfortable. 10/10 teaching for the real world."

—bayleea475b1dc13

9. A teacher who let their students have their cake and eat it too.

Ericb007 / Getty Images

"In my elementary school, the fifth grade was known for the famous “cake test.” My teacher got a large sheet cake from the bakery and each student brought in colored frosting tubes. Using the frosting, we had to draw a diagram of either an amoeba or a diatom on the cake. We would bring it up to the teacher, and she would grade it. We then got to eat the cake!"

—alexp4120c7c96

10. This teacher who makes math trendy!

@iteachalgebra

And that’s on y=(1/2)^x

♬ Timber - Pitbull feat. Ke$ha

Rory Yakubov / Via tiktok.com

Mrs. Rory Yakubov (ITeachAlgebra) is a math teacher who breaks down algebra and geometry concepts in fun, short TikTok videos. She'll teach you about parabola shapes, polynomials, linear equations, and more utilizing all the hip trends on TikTok.

Check out her Teachers Pay Teachers page to see all the amazing classroom resources she offers, including fun variations of a tumbling blocks game utilizing math!

11. A teacher who was always ready to spill the tea.

Alison Henley / Getty Images

"My AP Government teacher was awesome in so many ways! Before a big test, we would have "tea time." It was complete with articles for us to read, tablecloths, tea, flower vases, and him dressed in a wig and apron (with a British accent of course)!

—autumnjones715

12. This teacher who shared the importance of "who, what, when, where, why, and how" with a podcast project.

Shana Ramin / Via instagram.com

Shana Ramin is a a middle school language arts and journalism teacher with a passion for hands-on learning. This year her journalism students decided to make a class podcast for their yearlong project. They quickly had to learn how to outline podcast episodes, interview subjects, record and edit audio, and upload onto streaming platforms! And while her students are learning from home this semester, they are still diligently updating their podcast together remotely!

Visit Shana's Teachers Pay Teachers page for more helpful resources inside the classroom and out.

13. This teacher who was a fraction above the rest!

Neyro2008 / Getty Images

"My Algebra 1 teacher used to make animated cartoons to teach us concepts. The main character was “Distribution Ninja,” and every week he would take on a different villain like “the Scary Fraction Castle.” It was amazing, entertaining, and so funny. He probably put in countless of hours drawing and creating these shows. There was even a theme song!"

—melanator2000

14. This teacher who showed all sides of a "government party."

Daddybit / Getty Images

"My history teacher in high school did two incredible yearly assignments: 1) a “Dance of the Governments,” where we had to create an interpretive dance to show different kinds of government (monarchy, democracy, meritocracy, etc.); and 2) a “Jacksonian Jingle,” where we had to write a song about the life and major events surround Andrew Jackson."

—madeleinef4442b94a3

Note: Submissions have been edited for length, grammar, and/or clarity.

Teachers, we appreciate you so much! If you're part of an educational or professional organization, you could save with GEICO! Click here to see if you qualify for discounts.