5-Minute Film Festival: Best Education Parodies of 2015
Learning through pop culture satires can be fun and engaging. We’ve searched through the spoofs of the biggest viral hits of the year to find this playlist of educator favorites.
Another year has come and gone, and so have many, many hilarious and educational videos. That means it's time for the fourth edition of our best educational parody and satire videos list! We've scoured the web to find videos by teachers and about teachers, humorous tunes by parents, student-produced parodies, and so much more. As always, YouTube's Rewind team has also done a great job of recapping this year's most popular YouTube uploads. Make sure you take a look at our best-of lists from 2013 and 2014 for resources on how to use art, humor, music, and satire in the classroom.
Video Playlist: The Best Educational Parodies of 2015
Watch the first video below, or watch the whole playlist on YouTube.
- Teaching Center (3:47)
This year saw some professional comedians stepping into the education video field as well. In this funny sketch, the duo Key & Peele re-imagine teaching as a nationally-acclaimed spectator sport, complete with multi-million dollar contracts for teachers, and an ESPN-style commentary roundtable.
- A Town Funk (5:26)
Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' song "Uptown Funk" was one of the most popular tunes of 2015, and for good reason. A large group of students at Albemarle High School planned, produced, and danced in this spirited, choreographed rendition of the tune for their spirit week.
- Dear Summer Reader (3:30)
The teachers and librarians at Ocean Avenue School have some advice for their next batch of summer readers, sung to the tune of "Dear Future Husband" by Meghan Trainor. Remember: "Don't read books you hate, and don't forget to bring a book everywhere you may be!"
- Can't Get Some Peace (2:48)
Every parent knows the feeling of dread that accompanies an upcoming school break. Self-described "millennial mom" Jess of SHUGGILIPPO sings about all the things she can't do until her kids are back in school in this parody of The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face."
- The DNA Song (2:07)
The folks at Jam Campus can tell you all about DNA and what it does, to the tune of this year's surprise rap hit "Trap Queen" by Fetty Wap.
- Musican Morning Announcements (4:39)
In what's certainly a first for this list, Jimmy Fallon parodied the very idea of educational parodies, in this funny skit from The Tonight Show, where he plays a school principal.
- Flex (School Parody) (3:03)
The simple illustrations in this student-created parody of the song "Flex" by Rich Homie Quan will certainly have you laughing. Creators Background Heroes explain why they study (and why they don't), in this look into the day of the life of an average high school student.
- Bus Don't Move (3:43)
Getting your kids up in the morning and ready for school can be stressful. What's more, every year, many students are injured when exiting or entering school buses, because drivers try to go around the school buses. One mom took this into her own hands and created this video to remind you: when you see a bus, don't move!
- Blank Space Teacher Parody (4:32)
These Tennessee elementary school teachers got their students to participate in this adorable parody of Taylor Swift's "Blank Space," describing all the trials that they go through in a day: lost homework, grading papers, surprise transfer students, and standardized test prep.
- Go To College Music Video (2:02)
While this video from College Humor isn't strictly a parody, it IS very funny -- and also features First Lady Michelle Obama, making the case to students for (what else?) going to college.