The BEST episodes of Abbott Elementary
Every episode of Abbott Elementary ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Abbott Elementary!
A group of dedicated, passionate teachers and a slightly tone-deaf principal are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do, even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.
#1 - Teacher Conference
Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/22/2023
The Abbott staff heads to the Pennsylvania Educational Conference. Gregory reluctantly attends after a disagreement with Amber and bonds with Janine over their similarities. Jacob finds himself charmed by the Addington teachers.
#2 - Candy Zombies
Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/26/2022
It’s Halloween at Abbott Elementary! When a student steals a bag of candy meant to be given out to the kids at the end of the day and starts distributing it during school hours, the teachers band together to find the culprit. Meanwhile, Janine is invited to a Halloween party by an old friend and starts to reconsider her personal life.
#3 - Work Family
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/15/2022
After Jacob reveals a detail about his personal life, Janine realizes she doesn’t know the other teachers as well as she thought. Meanwhile, as Gregory’s stern teaching approach is causing his whole class to underperform, Barbara and Melissa teach him how to relax and make his lessons more fun.
#4 - Zoo Balloon
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 4/12/2022
While on Abbott’s annual zoo field trip, Tariq unexpectedly reveals that he has been offered a job in New York. As Janine struggles with a big choice, Barbara starts questioning her future after finding out her favorite tuatara has been retired because of old age.
#5 - Mom
Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/12/2023
Janine’s plan for a Memorial Day weekend solo trip is derailed when her mother shows up unannounced asking for help. Elsewhere, Gregory notices his colleagues are great at small talk and realizes he needs to brush up on his people skills.
#6 - Holiday Hookah
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/7/2022
On the last day of school before winter break, Janine is convinced by her friend to go to a popular hookah club where she runs into unexpected colleagues. Elsewhere, Jacob crashes Barbara and Melissa’s traditional holiday dinner and in the process begins to learn the true meaning of Christmas.
#7 - Valentine's Day
Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/8/2023
On Valentine’s Day, the Abbott teachers discuss their relationships and plans for the holiday. Janine finds out one of her students has a crush on her and when turning to a colleague for advice, she inadvertently learns a secret about another teacher. Elsewhere, Ava sits in on Jacob’s Black History class after receiving a complaint.
#8 - Smoking
Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 2/21/2024
After a student is caught smoking, the Abbott staff come together to revamp the outdated drug policy. Meanwhile, Janine tries to prep the new substitute teacher for her class but finds it challenging to give up her former role.
#9 - Development Day
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/21/2022
The teachers are back at Willard R. Abbott Public School for development week, a time to prepare for the upcoming year before the students’ first day of school. Post-breakup, Janine is determined to start the year off right and leave her problems at home. With this new outlook, she takes on organizing the faculty mixer and announces a special celebrity surprise she planned for the kids’ first day. Meanwhile, Ava runs a side hustle out of the school parking lot and Gregory, now a full-time teacher, is in over his head with the curriculum.
#10 - Librarian
Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 3/13/2024
Janine spearheads a pilot program that brings a librarian to Abbott; however, when friction arises with one of the teachers, it strains Janine’s relationships with both parties. Meanwhile, both Melissa and Jacob deal with some big changes at home.
#11 - Franklin Institute
Season 2 - Episode 22 - Aired 4/19/2023
Abbott Elementary takes a field trip to the Franklin Institute. Gregory is eager to spend time with a reluctant Janine who is avoiding him. Ava teaches the students about aliens, leading to chaos when someone spots an extraterrestrial in the museum.
#12 - Educator of the Year
Season 2 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/5/2023
Gregory is named Educator of the Year; Janine deals with a difficult student; it is revealed that Barbara hasn't completed her teaching requirements.
#13 - Festival
Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/15/2023
Abbott Elementary rallies together to fight the threat from Legendary Charter Schools. Ava pitches a festival to draw parents to school and collect their signatures for a petition. However, Draemond shows up with the intention of derailing the event.
#14 - Step Class
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 2/22/2022
Janine is thrilled when Ava asks to help her teach the after-school step class, but the two don’t see eye to eye on how to run the program. Later, when Barbara, Melissa and Jacob plan an “eat-off” to decide who makes the best pizza in Philadelphia, Gregory is forced to reveal a secret.
#15 - Open House
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/22/2022
It’s Open House night at Abbott Elementary, and while Janine prepares to meet her struggling student’s mother, the rest of the faculty uses the time to relax. Gregory is taken aback when he learns how Ava got the principal job, and later, Barbara’s daughter’s visit creates a commotion in more ways than one.
#16 - Wrong Delivery
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/28/2022
After Janine gets a look at the new charter school down the street, she becomes determined to fix up Abbott and make it just as good. Gregory goes out of his way to avoid Barbara due to an awkward situation with his personal life, and Ava takes to the school library to host a “Shark Tank”-style pitch to decide what to do with the rest of the funds from the grant.
#17 - Career Day (1)
Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 2/7/2024
Janine plans a district-wide initiative -- Career Day -- and is anxious for it to be a success; Ava has a new approach to her job; Melissa is asked a surprising question.
#18 - Desking
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 3/29/2022
When the students start participating in a new online trend that causes disruption to the school, the teachers band together to put an end to it. Meanwhile, Mr. Johnson provides comforting life advice to Gregory, and later, the teachers finally meet Jacob’s boyfriend, Zach, who joins in to help stop the students “desking.”
#19 - Ava vs. Superintendent
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 4/5/2022
With the school board threatening to pull their funds, Janine and Gregory decide to help Ava out with her presentation in front of the Superintendent. However, their plan is derailed when a curveball is thrown at Ava. Meanwhile, Barbara offends Melissa when she doesn’t agree with her blackmail idea.
#20 - Teacher Appreciation
Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/8/2023
It’s Teacher Appreciation Day. When the district gives Abbott two courtside tickets to a 76ers game, the teachers must decide who deserves them. Later, Janine invites the teachers to her house for game night and her sister, Ayesha, comes to visit.
#21 - The Principal's Office
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/12/2022
After Gregory sends a disruptive student to the principal’s office, he’s dismayed to find out the kids actually enjoy spending the supposed disciplinary time with Ava. Meanwhile, Melissa invites Janine over to her house to teach her how to cook, but Janine becomes determined to reunite Melissa with her estranged sister.
#22 - Fundraiser
Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/18/2023
Barbara organizes a candy-selling fundraiser to raise money for a school field trip to the science museum. When sales don’t go as planned, Ava steps in to teach the students new, unconventional selling tactics. Elsewhere, Mr. Johnson and Jacob butt heads about how to take care of a cat found in the janitor’s closet.
#24 - Read-a-Thon
Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/4/2023
The competition heats up between Melissa and Janine as their classrooms go head-to-head in a read-a-thon sponsored by a local pizza shop. Both teachers encourage their students to hit the books hard but face some unexpected obstacles on their path to pizza glory. Meanwhile, Jacob and Gregory join forces and attempt to get their student-podcasting club off the ground.
#25 - Willard R. Abbott
Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 3/10/2024
Abbott Elementary is deemed a Philadelphia historical landmark, much to Ava and Janine’s delight; however, Barbara and Melissa are not as impressed. The school plans a celebration in honor of its namesake, but not everything goes as planned.