“Humor is mankind’s blessing” Mark Twain
Most of you who are reading my articles are teachers working with children, have children of your own, or were children at some point….at least, I hope. :’D I remember the things in my childhood that made me laugh so hard that when I snorted, it actually hurt. To this day, humor is still capable of inflicting such pain to my nose. Sometimes it was my mom’s funny voices, my dad’s goofy games, or my siblings and I being super weird and causing mischief in the house.
These times are engrained in my memory. I even remember classes in college, where the professor was eccentric and extraordinary. Their humor filled the class with laughter, and often times in those classes, I would pass without trying very hard. While I know in other classes with teachers who were more strict or unforgiving, I had difficulty paying attention and getting A+ grades in those classes.
How is humor beneficial?
Humor not only connects us, but it draws comfort to our students.
Young. Old. Business Professionals.
When a student can see that you are willing to laugh and have fun, this relaxes them. This relaxation causes them to concentrate better, learn faster and more efficiently, and creates a welcoming atmosphere that will invite your students back for more learning!
Articles that back my theory on humor!
Muahaha evidence!
There are other article sources that support using humor for the same reasons I stated above. This article states that laughter is seen as a universal language. This means that everybody knows what it means to laugh, no matter the culture. This is a way to connect with all of your students, regardless of what cultural barriers there may be (Lujan & Dicarlo, 2016). (Build rapport!!!)
Another research study has been done that takes a close look at using humor to teach English as a second language to students. In this study, they found that the students felt that humor helped them learn more difficult materials, pay closer attention in class, and that they favor the use of humor in the classroom (Aboudan, 2009). Like I have found in my classrooms, the students are able to learn easier, and the atmosphere of the classroom was welcoming.
In conclusion,
there is a lot of research out there indicating that laughter and humor used in the classroom, can create a relaxing, stress free environment, allowing your students to learn with ease. We do not have to be professional comedians, but when we smile, laugh and engage with our students in a positive way, it can have a positive impact on their learning experience.
What kind of humor do kids like?
Younger Children:
As explained above, there is no need to be a comical genius. Children, especially young children, will enjoy any kind of goofy stuff you do.
Think playful.
Sometimes I enter the classroom with a stuffed turtle on my head. Then I spend a good thirty seconds being confused about why the child is laughing. At this point I let the turtle fall off my head. A gasp! And then I tell Mr. Turtle “No, no, no Mr. Turtle!!!”
Any child from the age of four to seven really loves this. It gets them warmed up and ready. Laughter is contagious too! So once they start to laugh, it is pretty easy to get them to keep going.
Another thing that my kids love, is when I get up and dance with them. Getting up and doing the most outrageous moves can cause them to go into giggle fits. It can also get them to feel less embarrassed about getting up and moving too. Because nobody could look nearly as silly as their teacher at that moment.
My final suggestion is to do something unexpected. I have a monkey reward system that my little ones love to use! Sometimes, I pretend to eat the monkey’s paper banana. Almost every time my student’s eyes pop out of their heads in disbelief, and this moment of shock turns into a roar of laughter. Sometimes, it even encourages them to use their new language skills to tell me that I am not supposed to do that, and that the monkey gets the banana.
There are so many ways to get little kids to laugh.
Teens:
Teens are a little different.
Teens like to be treated with a little more dignity. They want to be treated as miniature adults. So instead of using point blank humor, I will usually use my laughter and engagement in games to get them to laugh in classrooms.
For example, I was playing tic-tac-toe against a student, and there was no way either of us could win, so I draw a jagged line connecting all of my “O’s” and shouted I win. His surprise made the game go from ordinary to silly in a matter of seconds. He was engaged for the remainder of the class.
There are so many ways to engage with kids and teens in our classrooms, but this also applies to adults. Playing games and creating fun in the classroom is important.
Food for Thought:
Think of some ways that you could motivate a student through humor or laughing. What lessons could you design that would include humor? How could you get your student to smile in the first 5 minutes of class?
ESL Students Using Humor
I have some extremely funny students. Students who enjoy being the class clown, or who love to use their new language to crack jokes in class.
It takes intelligence to be funny.
If a child in your class is making even you laugh using the language that they are learning, to me, this is a sign that they are advanced in the language.
Although, I know that it can be disruptive when a student is using their humor in a larger class, there may be some ways to handle this without embarrassing them.
First of all, you can have fun and be silly with your students, and still have respect from them. They need to know the rules of your class. This is important to establish rules from day one. Online I have not had as many issues with this, but if you have a class full of students, it can be a huge issue!
Set ground rules and warnings:
I usually give my students 3 warnings.
1. It is time to stop and pay attention now.
2. If you do not stop, I will have to ask you to leave and notify your parents.
3. I will be notifying your parents, and I would like you to wait outside until I come get you.
If you are online, it is a good idea to have the ability to report on the child’s behavior during the class. This way the parents are aware of the situation.
I have not had many times when I sent a student out in front of the entire class. Just remember to have boundaries and rules.
Many of the articles that are used are available for reading on researchgate.net! You can type in the name of the article with the author’s names and read! Plus, you can find articles that are related and do research of your own!
That is it for now! Thank you for reading and please subscribe to keep updated on my content!
Bye! 😊
Bibliography
Aboudan, R. (2009). Laugh and Learn: Humor and Learning a Second Language.
Lujan, H. L., & Dicarlo, S. E. (2016). Humor promotes learning! Advances in Physiology Education, 40(4), 433-434. doi:10.1152/advan.00123.2016