LAUGH
With winter break fast approaching, schools, students and teachers are getting ready to deck the halls – but all teachers have their own unique style when it comes to how, exactly, they celebrate the holidays in their classrooms. Here are nine famous holiday characters and their teacher counterparts. You might recognize a colleague or even yourself on this list.
The Scrooge
The teacher with no discernible holiday spirit keeps teaching throughout December like there is nothing out of the ordinary going on. The staff room might be overflowing with cookies and eggnog, but it’s business as usual for The Scrooge. This teacher is well-known for giving a hard test – no notes allowed! – in the week before break, and you can bet there is homework going home with students over break, lest they forget their priorities among all the festivities.
The Santa Claus
The polar opposite of The Scrooge, The Santa Claus gives the gift of the holiday spirit to the school, helping fellow teachers survive the run-up to winter break with sanity intact. The Santa Claus showers staff members and students with presents and holiday cheer. Gifts are all Pinterest-worthy, wrapped by hand. And whether it’s peppermint white chocolate thumbprint cookies for the custodians or handmade ornaments for every student, The Santa Claus helps teachers feel like Santa’s reindeer just touched down on the school roof above.
The Krampus
This teacher likes Halloween a little too much, and spices up the holiday season with a dark side. Santa Claus might bring the gifts, but Krampus brings the pain to children who misbehave, according to European folklore. Look to the Krampus to threaten ill-behaved students with lengthy essays or extra miles to run in PE while other teachers are showing holiday movies.
The Grinch
The Grinch is over Christmas before it even starts. Ugly sweaters and good cheer are banned from this classroom, and no one dares sing a rogue Christmas carol because of the “Noise, Noise, Noise, Noise!” But who knows – maybe something special will make this teacher’s heart grow three sizes, too.
The Clark Griswold
Everything that can go wrong for The Clark Griswold goes wrong for The Clark Griswold. Their truck breaks down one December morning where there is conveniently no cell reception. A deer runs into their car door. They drop their cell phone in the toilet. They spill wine on a stack of essays to be graded. In spite of their hot mess life, The Clark Griswold is a beloved member of any staff.
The Clarence
The guardian angel from It’s A Wonderful Life helps George Bailey remember his blessings one Christmas Eve. The school teacher version of Clarence helps their fellow teachers remember that, in spite of the hustle, bustle and occasional frustrations of the holiday season, they all have much to be grateful for. Perhaps The Clarence asks students to write thank you notes to teachers and slips them in their boxes as a little holiday cheer. Regardless, this teacher always reminds colleagues that, as Clarence himself says in the movie, “Each man’s life touches so many other lives,” and no one touches more lives than a teacher.
The Buddy
Buddy the Elf has the magic of the season in his heart, and this teacher does, too. Whether it’s organizing classroom-to-classroom caroling or decking out the staff room for the annual holiday party, The Buddy makes the craziness that is teaching children in December manageable and helps us find some holiday magic in our own hearts.
The Frosty
Frosty the Snowman teachers spend all December praying for snow. Snow days mean no school and sledding down hillsides and warm hot chocolate by the fire in the evening. Frostys spend their weekends on the mountain, going up in chairlifts and racing down on freshly-waxed skis or boards. They can be counted on to send out local weather reports via staff email, and they are the first to post about a delay on social media in the morning. If snow is in the forecast, they share their tried-and-true snow superstitions with you – put a spoon under your pillow and your pajamas inside out, and it’ll be sure to snow tomorrow.
The Flick
Remember the kid from A Christmas Story who doesn’t believe his tongue will stick to a frozen flagpole, so he tries it, and lo and behold, his tongue sticks? Yeah, that’s Flick, and there’s one on every teaching staff. The Flick takes every dare, and because of this, they’re a perennial school favorite. The kids love them and egg them on to new heights. Need a teacher to rap in the school talent show? Look no further than The Flick. Always up for anything, there’s never a dull moment around this teacher.
Which holiday character best describes you as a teacher in December? Let us know in the comments!
