3 Ways to Get a Detention - wikiHow (2024)

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1Disrupting Class

2Acting Out in Class

3Acting Out Around the School

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Last Updated: March 27, 2024

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Trying to get a detention may not be the smartest move, but if you think you can learn a lesson from it, then go for it. You can learn some creative ideas to disrupt class and irritate everyone around you, without getting into more serious trouble down the road. If you do these things a couple of times, it shouldn't be much more than a detention or two.

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  1. 1

    Look up your school policies, so you don't take it too far. At your school, there will be all kinds of different ways you can get into trouble. Find out the policies that you can break that are detention-worthy, and make sure to avoid the ones that are suspension-worthy.

    • Most schools will have "strikes." If you do something once, you'll usually get a warning. If you do it twice, you may get a detention. More times might get you into more trouble, so know when to quit.
    • Other more serious offenses shouldn't be done if you're just trying to get a detention. You don't want to end up suspended. Pulling fire alarms, stealing, robbing, and other methods will actually get you into trouble with the police.
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Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Disrupting Class

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  1. 1

    Talk when you're not supposed to. Want to get in trouble real quick? Just talk when your teacher is talking, or when you're supposed to be quiet. Especially if you channel your inner heckler. Here are a bunch of ways to talk when you're not supposed to:

    • Wait until you've just been given a test, then start raising your hand and asking questions about the homework.
    • Interrupt other students when they're reading out loud, or if they're presenting a project. Start by saying inappropriate phrases to make their words funnier. After those students are finished, yell out, "BOO!" or "You suck!".
    • Wait until you've got silent work time and start talking to your neighbor, or laughing loudly.
    • When another student is answering a question, yell out, "Wrong!" or "Fake!", even if it's right.
    • Just start talking without raising your hand. Instead of waiting to be called on, launch into your question or comment.
    • During a video, start responding to everything the characters say as if they were in the room with you. Or say inappropriate phrases at any part of the characters' sentences to make them more funny.
  2. 2

    Irritate your teacher. Your teacher will give you a detention if you're just being an irritating presence in the class. Want to get on your teacher's nerves quickly? Try out some of these:

    • Call the teacher by their first name, a nickname, or someone else's name all through class.
    • Argue with a teacher, claiming there is a test today and you know it. Or claim there was no homework.
    • Write a fake note saying you're excused from class because it is boring. Teachers will automatically know it's fake. Say it's true and deny everything. When the jig is up, consider bursting into tears or screaming, whichever one you'd prefer.
    • Correct the teacher whenever you can. Make sure all of your corrections are completely off-topic or incorrect. Always pretend you're right and never let the teacher speak.
    • Ask a lot of personal questions about the teacher. Be as annoying about this as possible. Give them suggestions about their love life, driving skills or their teaching.
    • When the teacher asks a question to the whole class, reply loudly, "Your Mama!", "Your Mom!", or "Your Grandma!"
    • Every ten minutes, ask when class will be over.
    • In class, yell out "BORING!" There's a definite detention for you.
  3. 3

    Make a lot of noise. If it's quiet, or your teacher is talking, just start making a ruckus without saying anything at all. Here are some good ways to get your teacher annoyed with noise:

    • Beat box loudly. Beat box in the middle of a test when the teacher has asked for no talking.
    • Tap your fingers on your desk for the whole class.
    • Click your pen or tap your pencil on your desk.
    • Bring out a musical instrument, and just start playing some song in the middle of class. Loudly. Try to make it a catchy or really brash-sounding song. Try a percussion or brass instrument to really make a statement. Alternatively, bring out a harmonica, and start playing, to drive home the "school = prison" metaphor. When the teacher tells you to stop, go into an unfocused, passionate, loud rant about how "school is oppressing me!" and/or that "schools care nothing for arts!". Go on and on, and rant about "your oppressive/fascist/Stalinist school/teachers". Alternatively, explain it's just "homework for Band/Orchestra/Whatever class". Stick to that point and drive it home. The more ridiculous, the better.
  4. 4

    Start singing, and get other people to join in. Start quiet, and then get louder and louder as you go, trying to turn your class into a school musical. Almost a guaranteed detention awaits any of these ideas:

    • Sing random songs you know almost everyone hates - like "Friday" by Rebecca Black or "Baby " by Justin Bieber. Better yet, do it right in the middle of the lesson.
    • Compose a rap song about how terrible school is. To be as annoying as possible, organize a flash mob and sing it near the principal's office or the detention room very loudly.
    • Sing "Never Gonna Give You Up" By Rick Astley. When you finish singing the song scream the top of your lungs "You Just Got Rick-rolled!!"
  5. 5

    Forget all of your supplies. While this might get you into more grade trouble than you want, it also might be a good way to get a detention if you use it to start a general distraction in class. Here are some ways to come to class unprepared and be a nuisance:

    • Ask to get your supplies one at a time when you need them. Turn to one neighbor and ask loudly, "Can I borrow a pencil!?" Five minutes later, turn to another and ask, "Can I borrow some paper!?" and so on.
    • Spend a good ten to fifteen minutes trying to get a hoodie on or off. Make sure it has some rude slogan on it you might get in trouble for.
    • Behave well all day, then volunteer to read aloud. As you read, start stammering on every word and read like a 4-year-old, or add inappropriate phrases to make the sentences more funny.
    • Read as loudly or softly as possible, or make everything you read a run-on sentence.
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  1. 1

    Move around when you're not supposed to. If you want to do a little more than just be a general nuisance in class, acting out in goofy ways can get you a couple of detentions, when done properly. Here are some ways to get up and disrupt class physically:

    • Wait until everything is silent. Get up and start doing press-ups. Do it until you get to twenty, and then roll over and start doing sit ups. If you do it making as much noise as possible, then before you get to five press-ups the teacher will ask what you are doing. That's your cue to say, "Well, I don't want to look like you, do I?"
    • Sit on your chair upside down. Make sure your head is where your legs should be, and your thighs are stood up where your upper body would be and your legs are dangling down the back of the chair.
    • Walk out of class. If the teacher asks why, just say you were thirsty or you forgot a pencil from your locker. If you really want to get your teacher mad, say you're leaving because their class is boring you to death.
    • Do the exact opposite of what the teacher says. If she says to turn in your papers, keep it under your chair.
    • Be tardy as often as possible. After a few times, you'll get a detention.
    • Put your head down and try to fall asleep in class. Snore loudly. Don't get up when your teacher calls on you.
  2. 2

    Annoy other students. You don't have to just annoy your teacher. If you're bothering other students, they might tell on you, and you'll end up in detention. Try poking them, throwing things at them, or starting pointless conversations with them. Here are some other ideas:

    • Pass notes around, or better yet, throw them at random people, including the teacher. Avoid making other people look guilty so that the teacher can tell it is you.
    • Throw pencils or pens.
    • Whisper really annoying songs into your classmate's ear
    • Shoot spitballs at random people. Yell "DUCK AND COVER!" and shoot a whole bunch at once. Hit the teacher as often as possible, if you're daring, but this could merit suspension.
    • Frantically set up folders around your desk. When the teacher asks, act scared and scream "I'm afraid someone will cheat!
  3. 3

    Text on your cellphone. If the teacher decides to take your cellphone away, refuse to hand it over. This may result in many detentions and/or your device taken away.

    • Take your phone. Try to watch a movie. For a little extra annoyance, eat a lot of popcorn or candy with the movie. People will ask for some, and it might distract people from the teacher for a while.
    • If you listen to your iPod, listen to your music as loudly as you can. Dance to it, too. If your teacher decides to take away your iPod, refuse to hand it over.
  4. 4

    Break specific classroom rules. In some classes, the following steps might not get you into much trouble, but in others they might be detention worthy. Check out your specific classroom rules for more ways to get detention:

    • Chew gum in class or eat something. If your teacher doesn't notice, blow big bubbles, pop them, and smack your lips loudly. Offer other students a piece or charge them for it. This can irritate the teacher very much, and you could get in trouble.
    • Eat and do so very rudely and loudly. Bring in a bottle of soda, a water bottle, a cereal bar, or a small bag of chips. Chew with your mouth open. Gargle the drink. Then, choke on it and spit it out all over someone.
    • Bring in your whole makeup bag, a brush, and a small mirror. Pile it across your desk and make yourself pretty! If for some reason the teacher doesn't notice, ask her if your lip-gloss is too dark or your eyeshadow too light.
    • Get changed in class. Wear a tank top and shorts. Put a shirt over the tank top, then a hoodie or another shirt. Put jeans over the shorts. Wear flip-flops. Take them off and put on socks and tennis shoes.
  5. 5

    Fake some bodily functions. When nature calls, you can have a good excuse to cause a big scene. Or even if nature isn't calling, you can fake it. This will annoy everyone in the classroom:

    • Ask to go to the restroom in the middle of an important lesson or a test. When the teacher says no, wait five minutes and ask again. Do that about three times. Grab your crotch, raise your hand, and yell out "I GOTTA GO PEE". Pretend to pee yourself or pee on the floor.
    • Run to the trash can, lean over it, and make puking noises. Wait until everyone looks over. Take your head out and laugh, saying “HA HA, TRICKED YOU!!"
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Acting Out Around the School

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  1. 1

    Break rules in the cafeteria. The cafeteria can be a loud and rowdy place. The perfect place for getting into trouble. If you want to get busted into detention, here are a couple of ideas:

    • Throw any kind of lunch bag, piece of tinfoil, or an empty bottle at somebody. If a nearby adult catches you, you might get kicked out of the cafeteria.
    • Take food off of someone's plate and just start eating it. Wait for them to tell on you.
    • If there is a huge crowd of people entering the hallway from the cafeteria, and you're one of those people, find a couple of people and bang into one another. Shove people out of your way. If a nearby adult sees you, you will be given a verbal warning. If it continues, you could get a detention.
    • Throw food at someone and scream "Food Fight!" better yet throw it at the teachers in the lunchroom
  2. 2

    Act out in convocations or assemblies. If you have to sit around with a bunch of other kids, it's probably an important time to sit quietly and learn something important for everyone. Or it could be a great opportunity to get busted. If you want a detention, try out the following:

    • When the principal walks in and starts talking, shout, "Who IS that chump?"
    • Start asking any students who have to speak or get up on stage. Just yell weird or random stuff: "Voldemort loves you Mr. Douche-bag!"
    • Squeak your chair loudly or talk loudly to your neighbors. Keep doing it when you're told to stop.
    • Yell at a speaker "Shut up, I'm trying to sleep!" that's is a definite detention for you.
  3. 3

    Act out at performances or concerts. If you have to sit through a band concert or a choir concert at your school, it's important to be on your best behavior. Unless you want a detention. Here's how to get one:

    • After the song, yell out "BOO YOU SUCK!!" to the performers. Or don't clap to the performers, stand up, and start asking them questions instead.
    • Comment inappropriate things to your friends about the song. Be aware that this may distract the rest of the audience.
    • Laugh at the performers during or after the song. Or disrupt them by shouting/saying inappropriate words that make the lyrics funny, or making jokes about how they look.
    • If you have an assembly before your lunch period, bring out some small candy from the cafeteria. People may ask for some. Better yet, chuck them at the performers instead.
  4. 4

    Mess around in the computer lab. Technology class is a great place to learn and interact with technology. It's also a great place to get detention. If you want to stick around before/after school or during lunch, try out these ideas:

    • If you need to use a computer in class, go on another website instead of what you’re supposed to do. Tap friends’ shoulders and show them what you're doing.
    • Start playing a computer game instead. Scream Yeah! if you get a point. If you lose a point, shout something inappropriate.
    • Crank the sound on an annoying YouTube video and start blasting it. A good one to play would be the “Gummy Bear song" or anything that would get you into trouble.
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      Tips

      • You could read your school's handbook for other things that get you detention.

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      • Keep in mind that you want to get detention, not to make everyone think you are an attention-seeker.

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      • Check your schools punishment system, some schools have warning levels/cards that you have to get 2 or 3 of before you get a detention. That said, the warning levels/cards may only apply for minor offences but not for major ones like shouting profanity.

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      Tips from our Readers 3 Ways to Get a Detention - wikiHow (22)

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

      • Don't take it to far! Remember, you're not trying to get expelled or suspended. Do what's right for you, and don't feel peer-pressured to act out.
      • Be excessively late to class—not 3-5 minutes late, more like 15-20 minutes. The later you are, the more of a chance you get detention.
      • Do something simple and not too disrespectful, like talking over a teacher who is known to be impatient (but not too mean).

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      Warnings

      • Look up your school policies, so you don't take it too far. At your school, there will be all kinds of different ways you can get into trouble. Find out the policies that you can break that are detention-worthy, and make sure to avoid the ones that are suspension-worthy.

        Thanks

        Helpful2Not Helpful0

      • Never bully anyone to get a detention. This could land you to big trouble and you could get suspended or even worse expelled.

        Thanks

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      • Detentions may not be as fun as they seem. Ask someone who has been in detention before what you do and what it is like.

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      • You may get the teacher angry with you for a while, so be good afterward.

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      • Beware of your peer's opinions of you. Don't act *too* stupid, and make people think that you are.

        Thanks

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      • Most schools will have "strikes." If you do something once, you'll usually get a warning. If you do it twice, you may get a detention. More times might get you into more trouble, so know when to quit.

        Thanks

        Helpful2Not Helpful0

      • Remember, in American, Irish, and British schools, if you skip detention, you will most likely get another one or a more severe punishment.

        Thanks

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      • You may end up having no friends after you be annoying and/or get the detention. You can apologize and attempt to rebuild their trust afterwards, but this can be very difficult and take a while.

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      • Some of these suggestions may get you suspended.

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      • You may not get a detention if your teacher likes you, you’re a good kid, or you’re in a young grade.

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      • In some schools you may get a fine or get transferred to another school.

        Thanks

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      • Other more serious offenses shouldn't be done if you're just trying to get a detention. You don't want to end up suspended. Pulling fire alarms, stealing, robbing, sneaking out of school, skipping school and other methods will actually get you into trouble with the police.

        Thanks

        Helpful2Not Helpful0

      • Be aware that the school may call your parents and you will get more punishment at home, even if this is not intended.

        Thanks

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      • You may get multiple detentions.

        Thanks

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      3 Ways to Get a Detention - wikiHow (2024)

      FAQs

      3 Ways to Get a Detention - wikiHow? ›

      You can read, write, or use your imagination to pass the time. If there's anything you can do to be productive, like homework, you can also use that to make the detention go by quickly. Even after you're done however, you could stay on your laptop " doing homework " if you can get away with it.

      How to make detention go by fast? ›

      You can read, write, or use your imagination to pass the time. If there's anything you can do to be productive, like homework, you can also use that to make the detention go by quickly. Even after you're done however, you could stay on your laptop " doing homework " if you can get away with it.

      What are some reasons for detention? ›

      Breaking school rules, especially if you've already been warned. Refusing to follow directions. Habitually late homework. Talking back to or being argumentative with a teacher.

      What happens if you skip a detention? ›

      So when you fail to show up for a detention, you have to face the consequences. Your punishment is a suspension. One of the reasons that students are suspended is to make sure everyone understands that a person can't just do what he or she wants in school.

      Do kids still get detention? ›

      Detention is one of the most common punishments in United States. Usually this is where a student reports to a certain area or room for a certain period afterschool to work on homework and/or complete tasks assigned to the students.

      Does detention ruin your record? ›

      Generally, detentions are not recorded on your permanent high school record, also known as your transcript. Transcripts typically include your academic performance, such as courses taken and grades achieved, and do not always contain information about minor disciplinary actions like detentions.

      Why is detention bad? ›

      Detention and other punitive measures, like suspensions and expulsions, can contribute to other issues, such as recidivism among students, despite harsher or longer punishments. These measures have the potential to increase apathy and defiance.

      How to skip detention? ›

      Be honest with your teachers instead of making excuses. Even if your honest reasons aren't good reasons, your teacher will appreciate your honesty. If they see that you are willing to be honest about your actions, they may forgive you, resulting in you not having to serve detention. Honesty is appreciated by teachers.

      What to make kids do in detention? ›

      One common detention task is the reflection sheet, a form that encourages a student to discuss his or her behavior and why it is unacceptable. Reflective tasks can come in a number of forms, including essays, artwork, and group discussions. This form of activity is extremely beneficial for students.

      Do colleges see if you got detention? ›

      What disciplinary infractions do I NOT have to report on my college application? Any action that resulted in a mere detention or even series of detentions is very unlikely to rise to the level of needing be included on your college application.

      What happens if you don't go to school? ›

      Student penalties. Students who are chronically truant can face repercussions at school. Most schools in California have created School Attendance Review Boards (SARBs). These Boards have wide discretion to take action to keep a minor in school.

      Do you get detention for being late? ›

      Repeated lateness or cutting classes is eventually going to be addressed with the parent, and could be passed off to a state social worker for further review. So yes, detentions are one tool a school has to discourage kids from cutting class.

      What happens if you don't go to Saturday school? ›

      A Saturday school is a forced detention on the weekend. It is often for a student who has multiple detentions or a minor offense. Saturday schools can last an entire Saturday morning or all day. If a student does not serve the Saturday school, sometimes schools can suspend them from school.

      Is lunch detention bad? ›

      Is it appropriate and does it work? Lunch detention is not a harsh punishment, but it does provide students with accountability for their actions.

      Is Saturday detention real? ›

      This is in an effort to make the detention something students would avoid, and thus be a disincentive to inappropriate behavior. Similarly Saturday school can be considered another form of detention, although Saturday school is typically lon- ger in duration.

      Why do schools give detention? ›

      Administrators may feel they have few remedies other than detention or in-school suspension for serious infractions—such as a fight—involving student safety. And detention (or the threat of it) can change the behavior of some students for the better—as long as it is paired with an adult's care and attention.

      How long is detention usually? ›

      No need to stress too much about detention. While it may vary from school to school, generally, detention involves spending a set amount of time (usually around 30 minutes to 1 hour) after school or during lunch in a designated room under the supervision of a teacher or staff member.

      How to make detention effective? ›

      One common detention task is the reflection sheet, a form that encourages a student to discuss his or her behavior and why it is unacceptable. Reflective tasks can come in a number of forms, including essays, artwork, and group discussions. This form of activity is extremely beneficial for students.

      How long are most detentions? ›

      Typically, detentions are served after school. Instead of going home at the end of the day, the student reports to a designated classroom where he or she must sit in a desk for an amount of time generally rang- ing from 10 minutes to two hours, with an hour or less being most typical.

      How do you get away with detention? ›

      how to get out of detention
      1. Blame it on someone else. ...
      2. If there is a new teacher/student in your school, try to shift the blame toward them. ...
      3. Cry. ...
      4. Try to make it embarrassing for yourself. ...
      5. Say that you will talk to your teacher after class. ...
      6. Try freedom of speech or making a rule after the fact.

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