This article aims to interpret teacher strikes through a multi-level analysis and the identification of a number of relevant factors relative to the professional project (in a neo-Weberian sense) of primary and secondary school teachers. In the first place the authors' interpretation is based on references to contextual and structural elements, then on mapping teacher strikes and finally on how legitimate teacher strikes should be addressed according to the service ideology that teachers claim or that other actors grant them. Examples are taken from different countries and key debates hinge on a typology of strikes: first strikes, limited strikes or strikes to the finish, work-to-rule strikes, political strikes connected or not to general strikes, administrative and exam strikes. This contribution is also designed to develop an analytical tool to be submitted for discussion and ultimately aims at being shared among researchers in a comparative perspective. (Contains 54 footnotes.)