How to Get a Detention

Last Updated: March 6, 2023

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.

Steps

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.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Disrupting Class

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
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. If they mention anything at all related to LGBTQ, ask them if they are gay, then start telling everyone about how we need to be nice to gay people.
- 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
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.
- Keep a phone or iPod hidden and play random animal sounds. Start acting scared because you hear lions.
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 about how bad school is. To be as annoying as possible, 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 "You Just Got Rick-rolled!!" at the top of your lungs.
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.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Acting Out in Class

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 you're bored.
- 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
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.
- Scream 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.
- Set up folders around your desk. When the teacher asks, say "I'm afraid someone will cheat!"
- For no reason, duck low and do an air-raid-siren sound. Then point at your teacher and say, "We're being bombed again by Hitler!"
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 iPod or iPhone. 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
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
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 WEE WEE! OH, OH PLEASE! I GOTTA GO WEE WEE!"
- Run to the trash can, lean over it, and make puking noises. Wait until everyone looks over. Take your head out and laugh, saying "I GOT YOU NOW, DUMBHEAD!!"

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Acting Out Around the School

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
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
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
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 a YouTube video and start blasting it. Play Lil Wayne's "A Milli" or anything that would get you into trouble.

Warnings

You may get multiple detentions.

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Helpful 25 Not Helpful 0
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.

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Helpful 20 Not Helpful 1
Some of these suggestions may get you suspended.

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Helpful 22 Not Helpful 2
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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Beware of your peer's opinions of you. Don't act *too* stupid, and make people think that you are.

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

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

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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.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 13 Not Helpful 3
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.

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

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

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

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