3 Reasons Teachers Hate Halloween

by Guy E. White on 23 October, 2014

Halloween is the least productive day of the school year.

Halloween gives teachers nightmares. Halloween is the one day a year where teachers can expect very little to get done. Simultaneously, it’s the day of the year where students, schoolwide, engage in the most distracting behaviors allowed by the school.

As a high school teacher, I loathe Halloween. It’s the day of the year where dozens (if not a hundred or more) of my students will dress up in utterly disgusting and distracting costumes and engage in some of the least dignified behavior I’ll witness all year. For my opinion, I’ve been called a “fuddy-duddy” by a peer or two and can expect each October 31 to hide in my room between all classes and during meal breaks.

Are you a fuddy-duddy too? When I interview teachers about Halloween, here are the reasons they say that they hate it the most.

1. It’s Contrary to the Mission of Schools

Does more or less learning get done in your classroom on Halloween? The mission of school is to provide a safe space for learning. When students are provided a day where the focus is placed elsewhere, namely on acting like a complete fool in the hallways and classrooms, the learning suffers. Do you tolerate anything less?

2. The Costumes

School is about life, living, and the pursuit of happiness. Halloween costumes are largely about death, dying, murder, and pain. Between the “sexy pirate” and “bloody killer” costumes (these are their actual names at the store), I’m not seeing much inspiring role-play. To the credit of one student, they dressed up as me one year: that was inspiring.

3. It Celebrates Undignified Behavior

If you are a Halloween believer, I ask you one simple question: “Does it bring out the best or the worst in your students?” Truly, it brings out the worst behavior. Between the running, chopping, zombie sliding, posing, and grunting, Halloween encourages students to behave in ways that would not be acceptable any other time of the year.

So, I’m not a fan.

What are your thoughts? Do you celebrate Halloween? Condone it? Tell me below!

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