Chapter 8: Best Teacher Themes
Posted on January 7, 2024 | Updated on January 10, 2024
Setting up an educational website keeps students informed and parents on the same page. Finding teacher themes for your WordPress site is a matter of narrowing down the hundreds upon hundreds of options and selecting the one that works best for your teaching style. We’ve done the heavy lifting for you and come up with a selection of four we think will work for anyone and one that is our selection for the best option.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there are around 120,480 teachers in the country, making an average salary of $61,250. One thing most people realize is that some teachers don’t make much, especially when starting out, with the bottom 10% making a mere $30,230 per year.
Finding a free theme is crucial to building a teacher themed website. As we selected our list of top teacher themes, we considered which ones had a lite or free version first. Many of these also offer premium or pro themes you can upgrade to later, but the no-cost packages will give you the tools you need to get started and communicate with parents and students in an online environment.
You’ll want to tap into a plugin such as MemberPress to protect access to confidential information and files. The free version of the plugin should work fine for your needs and only allow registered and approved users into member information.
What to Look for in Teacher Themes
The type of teacher themes you might want depend on your students. Someone who teaches kindergarten will want bold, vibrant colors and fun illustrations. On the other hand, if you teach or tutor a college course, you may want something a bit more mature looking. Fortunately, there are some things you can look for no matter what grade you teach that will help you as you build out your website.
- Simple navigation
- A gallery to post photos of the class (best to keep in a private area where only parents have access)
- Place to post homework, such as a blog
- Section for news and announcements
- Calendar for class events
You may have other items on your wish list for your teacher theme, but these are some of the crucial elements that will make your design stand out and keep your parents engaged.
Our Favorite Teacher Themes
If you search for teacher themes, you’ll find more options than you can imagine. Many of them are paid, but well under $100 for the theme. If you find something you love that screams your personality, then you may want to invest in it.
For this article, we tried to focus on themes with a free option, even if the upgrade added needed features. The ability to get started without paying money is crucial for those on a tight budget. You can always upgrade later as your career progresses and you receive raises.
Safha One Page
Safha One Page is a versatile theme that could be used for any number of businesses. We like the clean layout and ample white space so you can point students to the exact content you want them to view.
Keeping everything on one page makes navigating the site easy. You can later add a members-only area or downloads for worksheets and such. With the Premium version, you gain customization options, social media integration and custom page templates.
Life Coach Agency
Life Coach Agency doesn’t pop up when you search for “teacher themes.” However, thinking outside the box a bit can help you locate themes that make your teacher page stand out and still offer all the features you need.
What we love about this theme is the colors. The orange gradient is eye-catching and grabs user attention. Include an image of you in your classroom in the header shot and then explain the difference you make in students’ lives. You can then add links to downloads, the class schedule, upcoming events and other content to help your students and parents get the most out of learning.
Expert Teacher
Expert Teacher uses a grid layout to move the user through the site. Add details on subjects or strengths as a teacher, include content and articles to teach parents or students and change the navigation to suit your needs.
Some of the best features come with an upgrade. Gain a banner slider, theme options, custom colors and images and an inner page banner. The theme is responsive to different screen sizes and integrates with WooCommerce.
EducateUp Kids
EducateUp Kids offers bright colors and asymmetrical interest. The theme is a child of EducateUp, which is also worth considering for an educator website. The theme includes a blog for news and updates and is mobile responsive. Swap out the courses section if you only teach a single class.
The free version is responsive, lets you choose site layout and offers newsletter options. Upgrading to Pro adds a sticky header, infinite scroll, additional homepage designs and an appointment section so you can schedule parent conferences and other events.
Our Winner: Kids School
Kids School is our choice for the best and most versatile theme for teachers. You can use this theme to start an education business, tutoring, daycare or educator website. Although the design has bright colors that pop, there is plenty of negative space so the design isn’t overwhelming or too busy.
Some of the features we love with Kids School include:
- Header contact info at the top
- Inclusion of social icons
- Ability to add a blog
- Featured content slider
- Services section
- Gallery
- Team section
- Testimonials
- Layout options
The free version gives you almost every features, but with a Pro upgrade, you gain:
- More social icons
- 40 more featured slider sections
- Additional services
- More featured gallery images
- Featured classes section
- Video section
- Full-width layout
- Sticky menu
The basic version gives you many of the features of the theme. The pro version expands by offering a greater number or some specializations to better customize the look.
Choosing the Right Teacher Theme for You
You know your students and classroom better than anyone else. Select the theme that makes the most sense for your needs. You can customize any theme by adding plugins and pages to share the information most needed. Tap into a membership area to keep private information safe. With a bit of thought and one of these beautiful themes, you’ll have an educator website that is useful and memorable.
