Teacher Shirts by Subject: Which Back to School Design Actually Fits Your Classroom

Most back-to-school shopping guides sort designs by mood — grumpy, sincere, punny. Subject matters too. A math teacher and an art teacher don’t necessarily want the same joke, even if they’re both teaching the same week.

For math class

Back to School Rulers is the collection’s most subject-specific design, built around a classic math-class prop rather than a general school reference — an easy, obvious pick if you’re shopping specifically for a math teacher.

For English, reading, or library classrooms

Read More Boooooks and Open Minds, Open Books both center on reading directly — the first with a spooky pun, the second with a sincere, no-joke statement. Pick based on whether the teacher leans playful or earnest.

For art class

Think Different is built around a creative, artistic pencil illustration rather than a generic school reference, making it the natural pick for an art teacher over anything more academic-sounding.

For general classroom teachers, any subject

Not every design needs to be subject-specific to work. New Beginnings Start in the Classroom, Every Step Is Progress, and School Mode On all work regardless of what’s being taught — safe, versatile picks if you don’t know the subject or just want something that isn’t tied to one.

Still not sure?

If subject isn’t the deciding factor for the person you’re shopping for, Funny Back to School Shirt Sayings, Ranked by Mood sorts the whole collection by tone instead — useful if mood matters more to them than what they teach.

Shop the collection

Browse the full Back to School collection to see every design mentioned here.