Got stress? You
are not alone! Educators are
feeling the impact of an escalating focus on accountability, requirements and
mandates. The purposeful use of humor can rescue educators from the stress of
these increased demands. While stress reduction is considered one of the most
important benefits of humor, there are numerous additional benefits.
RESEARCH BASED HUMOR BENEFITS
1.
Captures
and retains student attention
2.
Expands
student comprehension
3.
Increases
the opportunity for memory retention
4.
Builds
relationships with students and colleagues
5.
Creates a
nurturing environment for learning
6.
Supports
classroom management
7.
Helps
people cope
8.
Decreases
depression
9.
Enhances
the joyful craft of teaching and learning
10. Is fun!
HUMORPHOBIA
EXISTS
I have been continuously amazed at how challenging it is to incorporate
fun, laughter, and humor in educational systems. The higher the grade level,
the more difficult it can be to implement humor practice. Some adventuresome
high school teachers use cartoons and puns, but often anything else is dismissed
as too elementary or childish to be considered.
A high school teacher said, “We’re not supposed to have parties, although some teachers
secretly do. In our school system the clowning and parties need to be kept at
the elementary levels.” When a
teacher that I know was moving to second grade after teaching kindergarten for
several years, the principal came to her and declared: “now you won’t be able
to sing anymore”. Students in
fifth grade told their teacher they were “too old” to have fun anymore.
These are not isolated examples. It takes courage to
practice humor especially in school cultures that are focused on
accountability. Therefore is imperative that educators clearly understand and be
prepared to articulate their goals when initiating humor. Feel free to share
the above ten reasons why humor can and should be integrated into education. (Morrison, 2008) Many teachers are
stressed by needing to spend a great deal of time in preparation for state and
federal testing. Many are saddened by the fact that there seems to be little
time for fun or creativity. The fact is that the purposeful use of humor can
help prepare students for that testing.
·
Put a
different riddle (based on curriculum) on the bulletin board each day. Students
can guess the answer and put the sheet with their name on it in a riddle box. Silly
prizes can be awarded for the correct answers. This can be a school-wide
activity.
·
A “Humor Haven” encourages creativity.
Provide a small area in the classroom with a mirror and props. Students can
choose to become a colorful character in history (related to the content).
Drama, storytelling and writing can be integrated as a way to make characters
come alive.
·
Joke and
riddle books excite even the bored child. Make sure that there is a humor
section in the library.
·
Begin each
day with a joke or funny story chosen by one of the students. This is a great
way for the class clown to shine.
·
Once a
week the principal can invite a student to read a joke over the loudspeaker. Stories and jokes written by students
can be shared in the school newsletter.
·
Greet
students with secret visual signals that give them a clue about the lesson for
the day—any goofy move will do. Refer to the signal when they leave as a
reminder of the key point you want them to remember. A study of the cells could
initiate a “cell” phone conversation. Three fingers in the air might indicate
the three vital things they need to learn that day.
·
Have the
students create tests by having each read a part of the text from which they
need to create a riddle or a question in the form of a pun. These questions can
be used in the actual assessments.
The above activities are contributed
from educators during humor workshops and from numerous classroom visits. I know there are many educators who do
take humor –seriously! Feel free
to share your comments about your humor practice.
“Don’t take life too
seriously –you won’t get out alive!
The information and research has been adapted from
Morrison’s book, “Using Humor to Maximize
Learning; The Links between Positive Emotions and Education”. Additional resources can be found on
the Humor Quest web site. http://www.questforhumor.com/
