Teaching is a complex and rewarding profession, full of unique challenges and triumphs. Understanding idioms related to teaching can enhance your grasp of English and provide insight into this noble profession. Here are 20 idioms that describe various aspects of teaching, each with a brief meaning and an example sentence.
Idioms That Describe Teaching
1. Teach an old dog new tricks
Meaning: Trying to teach someone something new.
Example: It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks.
2. Apple of one’s eye
Meaning: A student who is a favorite.
Example: Emily is the apple of her teacher’s eye.
3. Pass with flying colors
Meaning: To succeed easily.
Example: She passed the test with flying colors.
4. Hit the books
Meaning: To study hard.
Example: It’s time to hit the books before exams.
5. Learn the ropes
Meaning: To learn how to do something.
Example: New teachers need to learn the ropes quickly.
6. Teacher’s pet
Meaning: A student who is favored by the teacher.
Example: Jake is definitely the teacher’s pet.
7. Brainstorming session
Meaning: A meeting to generate ideas.
Example: We had a brainstorming session in class today.
8. Break the ice
Meaning: To initiate conversation.
Example: The teacher broke the ice with a fun activity.
9. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: To study or work late into the night.
Example: She burned the midnight oil for her final exam.
10. A for effort
Meaning: Praise for trying hard even if unsuccessful.
Example: He got an A for effort in his project.
11. Cover a lot of ground
Meaning: To deal with many topics.
Example: The lecture covered a lot of ground today.
12. Crack the books
Meaning: To start studying.
Example: It’s time to crack the books and prepare.
13. Dropout
Meaning: Someone who leaves school without finishing.
Example: The school is working to reduce dropout rates.
14. In a nutshell
Meaning: To summarize briefly.
Example: The teacher explained the theory in a nutshell.
15. Go the extra mile
Meaning: To do more than required.
Example: She always goes the extra mile for her students.
16. Hands-on experience
Meaning: Practical experience.
Example: The lab provided hands-on experience for students.
17. Old school
Meaning: Traditional teaching methods.
Example: He prefers old school teaching techniques.
18. Back to basics
Meaning: Focusing on fundamental principles.
Example: The teacher took us back to basics in math.
19. Make the grade
Meaning: To meet expectations.
Example: He worked hard to make the grade this semester.
20. Learn by heart
Meaning: To memorize.
Example: Students need to learn these formulas by heart.
