60 Teacher Tattoos

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In recent years, the presence of tattoos in the professional world has become increasingly acceptable. Tattoos reveal a lot about one’s identity, self-expression, and societal norms. This trend is becoming especially prominent among educators, who traditionally have been expected to maintain a more conservative appearance. As tattoos become more common among teachers, they challenge conventional perceptions of professionalism and invite a reevaluation of what it means to be a role model in the classroom.

I asked my teacher followers to share tattoos they got that were inspired by their teaching careers. You can see the multifaceted relationship between teacher tattoos and identity, especially because being a teacher is a huge part of our identities, in and of itself.

1. “I’m a theatre teacher so this just makes sense.”

2. My “Miss Honey” inspired tattoo.

3. This was written in my college graduation card…he passed away 8 months later but this message goes with me always!

4. Through

5. A teacher take on “pizza rat” – with an apple instead since we teach in NYC!

6. I got this tattoo after dealing with a toxic teacher who has friends in high places.

7. Fibonacci

8. My homage to Flannery O’Connor and my cat on a stack of books.

9. She believed.

10. I teach geography so I have a map of New England on my right shoulder. I also have a clipper ship on my right forearm because it is our school district and city mascot. I also teach about the history of Portsmouth and the clipper ship was a big part of our history.

11. I have a pencil behind my ear because I’m always putting my pencils there and forgetting about them five minute later!

12. High School History Teacher here. I have a tattoo of the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self evident…” written in the same font as the Declaration of Independence.

13. My tattoo started off as a joke with my team and some past students. However, the more I thought about it the more I realized how important my 7-1 team was to me. We became a well-oiled machine and just enjoyed being around each other and the kids. Having a wonderful team in education doesn’t always happen. When I look at this tattoo, it brings me back to some of the best years of my teaching career.

14. I teach 5th in northern CA. I am currently featured in, “Tattooed and Tenacious” at the Sac History Museum!

15. I’m Just A Bill

16. First pic: my half sleeves are inspired by books I love that I have taught (As I Lay Dying and Cry, The Beloved Country). Second pic: chest tat inspired by the ending to A Tale of Two Cities (another book I love teaching).

17. Beautiful Books

18. The Lorax

19. This is a fine line version of the my favorite library in the world: Radcliffe Camera at Oxford University in England. I got it as an homage to my love of learning, literature, and architecture. I studied abroad there as well and it affirmed my love of lifelong learning and inspired me to go into education myself.

20. I’m a school counselor now, but taught 6th and 3rd for 12 years.

21. There are so many things that I would change about this tattoo now, but the message would stay the same, “I can.”

22. I kept it kind of general on purpose. I didn’t want to lock myself into a subject or department necessarily. But I made sure a bite was out of the apple. Not that I need a reminder that the job is hard, it’s more of a backwards reminder to protect myself. Like don’t get too attached, volunteer for more committees, etc. Don’t make it harder than it already is kind of thing!

23. Mr. Feeny

24. I am a 5th grade ELA teacher. I love the Girl With The Pearl Earring painting and its literature ties!

25. I grew up in the 90’s loving Shakespeare and pretty boys, so naturally I had to get Leo as Romeo permanently inked on my arm! 😆(I am an English teacher if it wasn’t earth shatteringly obvious already!)

26. Hungry Catapillar

27. 8th grade history teacher!

28. Muggles

29. I got this specifically because I am an English teacher and also to remind myself that like the splotches of ink at the bottom, teaching can be a messy process, no matter how fancy some folks try to make it out to be.

30. Here is my Shel Silverstein inspired tattoo and my Harry Potter Spell. It was to remind me that when my job gets overwhelming and scary (I work in the sped department) to look at the funny side of things.

31. I’m a high school Spanish teacher with a love for Frida Kahlo. My classroom is decorated with a bunch of Fridas.

32. My tattoo is slightly different. I’m also a coach and I have a deal with all the kids that if they win state while I’m their coach I will get their name tattooed on my back. 2 winners so far.

33. From Long Island, NY!

34. I teach psychology and I knit. So this is my teacher inspired tat.

35. I just recently got a tattoo to commemorate my time teaching and as a tribute to my students. My last name is Duckworth, so I’m the big science duck. The little one represents my students (with a bow of school colors!)

36. Science

37. Go Set the World on Fire

38. I teach American literature, junior year. Both of these tattoos were inspired by student designs. One is of Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye, and the other is Gatsby from The Great Gatsby.

39. Biblio

40. I copied it directly from The Giving Tree to remind myself not to give so much of myself that I am worn down to a stump. I put it on my wrist so I can look at it throughout the day when more and more is asked of me!

41. Power of Books

42. Here’s my literary inspired teacher tattoo.

43. I’m a Pittsburgh native and a shop teacher and Mr. Rogers was one of our best teachers.

44. Heart with an apple stem

45. This is my “Teach Peace” tattoo. It is an apple on a peace dove. My first year of teaching, a student wanted to be a tattoo artist and I promised her I would be her first design. And here we are!

46. For the teacher who made us all want to do it… Mr. Feeny.

47. “NO is a necessary magic. No draws a circle around you with chalk and says I have given enough.” -Boundaries

48. Math teacher

49. Butterfly

50. I am a special education teacher. I once worked at a school for middle schoolers with severe emotional and behavioral disabilities. I love when people ask “why did you choose a green apple and not red?” The green apple is in honor/remembrance of the neon green chairs that were thrown across the classroom and at windows on a daily basis.

51. This is my Sylvia Plath/Bell Jar inspired coverup tattoo. I’m (probably obviously) a language arts teacher. 

52. Read more

53. Here’s my Southern Gothic tattoom because these people also always told the truth—of the dirty south!

54. Teaching means learning twice

55. This is my Art Teacher lady head by the talented Shelia Marcello of Asbury Park, NJ.

56. Not for the faint of heart

57. My tattoo is the notes “teach your children well” on my left forearm from the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young song Teach Your Children. 

58. Civics and world history teacher

59. I have an art teacher tat that was stick and poked by one of my best friends who is also an art teacher!

60. This is based off the poem teachers share with each other.