45 Songs for Teachers, From Thank-You Tributes to Teacher Life Anthems

What is a good song to dedicate to a teacher?

The classic is "To Sir with Love" by Lulu, written for the film about a teacher who changed his students' lives. Close behind are "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban, "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler and "Teach Your Children" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. For a lighter tribute, "You've Got a Friend" and "What a Wonderful World" are favorites in student slideshows.

Songs to thank a teacher

1. "To Sir with Love", Lulu: the classic teacher tribute.
2. "You Raise Me Up", Josh Groban: for the teacher who made you better.
3. "Wind Beneath My Wings", Bette Midler: thanks to the person behind your success.
4. "Teach Your Children", Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: what one generation gives the next.
5. "What a Wonderful World", Louis Armstrong: watching children grow and learn.
6. "You've Got a Friend", Carole King: for the teacher who was always there.
7. "I'll Be There", The Jackson 5: a promise of support.
8. "Lean on Me", Bill Withers: for the teacher students leaned on.
9. "Because You Loved Me", Celine Dion: gratitude for someone who believed in you.
10. "Hero", Mariah Carey: about finding strength, often used in teacher tributes.
11. "For Good", from Wicked: about how someone changes you forever.
12. "In My Life", The Beatles: the people who shaped you.

Songs for Teacher Appreciation Week

13. "Thank You for Being a Friend", Andrew Gold: a fun thank-you.
14. "Count on Me", Bruno Mars: simple enough for kids to sing.
15. "Firework", Katy Perry: for teachers who help students shine.
16. "Hall of Fame", The Script featuring will.i.am: about believing you can do anything.
17. "Unwritten", Natasha Bedingfield: for the futures teachers help start.
18. "A Million Dreams", from The Greatest Showman: dreams that start in a classroom.
19. "Happy", Pharrell Williams: a staff-room mood booster.
20. "When I Grow Up", from Matilda the Musical: a favorite for student performances.

Funny songs about teacher life

21. "I'm Still Standing", Elton John: for the last week before summer.
22. "Stressed Out", Twenty One Pilots: report-card season, in a song.
23. "The Lazy Song", Bruno Mars: the first day of summer break.
24. "Issues", Julia Michaels: for anyone with a room full of personalities.
25. "School's Out", Alice Cooper: the last bell of the year.
26. "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2", Pink Floyd: the anti-school anthem every teacher can laugh at.
27. "Hold On", Wilson Phillips: for the week before winter break.
28. "Don't Stop Believin'", Journey: for anyone grading at midnight.

Walk-up songs for teachers

29. "Eye of the Tiger", Survivor: for the first day back.
30. "Roar", Katy Perry: for a confident entrance.
31. "Can't Stop the Feeling!", Justin Timberlake: clean and upbeat.
32. "Uptown Funk", Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars: for the staff talent show.
33. "We Will Rock You", Queen: stomp-clap for an assembly.
34. "Celebration", Kool & the Gang: for end-of-year awards.

Songs for a teacher's retirement

35. "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", Green Day: grateful for the years.
36. "My Way", Frank Sinatra: for a career lived on their own terms.
37. "Thank You for the Music", ABBA: perfect for a music teacher.
38. "The Best Is Yet to Come", Frank Sinatra: for the next chapter.
39. "Unforgettable", Nat King Cole: for the teacher generations will remember.

Positive songs to play in the classroom

40. "Start of Something New", from High School Musical: for the first day.
41. "We're All in This Together", from High School Musical: teamwork.
42. "Try Everything", Shakira: about learning from mistakes.
43. "Brave", Sara Bareilles: for presentation day.
44. "Three Little Birds", Bob Marley: calm before a test.
45. "Here Comes the Sun", The Beatles: a gentle morning start.

Songs for teachers from students

When a class wants to sing for a teacher, pick a song with an easy chorus everyone already knows: "Lean on Me", "Count on Me", "You've Got a Friend in Me" or "Thank You for Being a Friend". Older students can take turns reading one line each about what the teacher taught them before the last chorus. It takes ten minutes to rehearse and teachers remember it for decades.

Motivational songs for teachers

For the long weeks in February and the run-up to testing season, teachers swap playlists with "Hall of Fame", "Unwritten", "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten, "Rise Up" by Andra Day and "Don't Stop Believin'". A staff-room speaker playing one on Monday morning does more for morale than another meeting.

Back-to-school songs for teachers

For the first day, "Start of Something New", "Eye of the Tiger", "Best Day of My Life" and "Here Comes the Sun" set the tone for the room. Many teachers play the same song on the first and last day of the year, which students notice and love.

Songs for a teacher slideshow

For an end-of-year or retirement slideshow, three songs cover about 150 photos: open with "What a Wonderful World", move to "You Raise Me Up" or "To Sir with Love" for the heart of it, and close with "Teach Your Children" or "For Good". For a preschool or kindergarten class, see our kindergarten graduation songs.

How to thank a teacher with a song

• Get the class involved: a short video of students singing one chorus is a gift teachers keep for years.
• Add a note: one specific memory from each student means more than the song.
• Do it during the year, not only in June, when it lands as a surprise.
• Include the support staff: aides, coaches and librarians deserve a song too.

A song written for a teacher

All of these songs thank teachers in general. A personalized song can thank one: their name, their classroom, the phrase they always say, the moment a student finally understood fractions, the years they gave to the school. It makes a moving Teacher Appreciation Week, retirement or end-of-year gift from a class or a family. See our guides to a thank-you song for a teacher, a retirement song for a teacher and the best thank-you gift for a teacher, and our list of thank you songs.

How to create a song for a teacher

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: pop, acoustic, country, gospel-inspired and more.
2. Add the teacher's name, or up to three names.
3. Share three memories from the classroom, each with one concrete detail.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $24.99, or $29.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page the whole class can share and the lyrics as a PDF.

Give a teacher a thank-you they will never forget: create a song for a teacher and hear four previews for free.