Humor as a Classroom Tool
Humor actually changes brain chemistry. The chemical change is enhancing to learning.
Instructors need to be willing to laugh at themselves. We should never have humor at the expense of others.
Recognizing a situation presents an opportunity for situational humor is a great skill to develop. You will know if you have got it when everyone in the room--even the most serious ones--at least come out with a chuckle.
Tiffani,
A shared laugh does a lot to refocus the minds of students. So share a joke or comment and have fun laughing with your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Great advice! I think incorporating humor into the classroom is something that I should personally work on to keep my students engaged- especially for those days when we are covering material that may seem a little dry.
I agree by trying to inject humor in the class while doing they lesson plan it seems to lighten the mood and focus them on positive aspects of the lesson
Deidre,
Laughter and stories are two great ways to break up the learning sequence and help students to refocus their minds. You are doing such with your approach.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
As a business instructor, some of the material and lessons can be tedious at times. Everyday in my classes I find a humorous story about myself to relate to what is being taught. This allows the students to see me as a person just like them. It also allows the students to connect what they are learning to real-life situations.
Jeffrey,
Students like these and as a result look forward each class opening.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Charles,
I am a big fan of humor. Sharing a smile and laugh increases the rapport that is being developed in the class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Humor is the key ingredient to keeping the learning fun. When learning is fun then the student seems to enjoy and retain his learning.
John,
So do I for the reasons you state. It is a very important teaching tool that can be used to keep students engaged and helps them to focus on the content.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Humor is a powerful tool, which can be used at intervals to increase the attention span of the students. It can also help them to be focused and alert.I use it in my classes.
Judy,
I agree and make humor a part of my regular instructional delivery. There is something about a laugh now and then that helps to reinforce the learning process and relax the students.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Humor is a great tool in the classroom. It helps keep students (and the instructor) engaged and excited. It has been my experience that the boring classes were always my least favorite to attend. Similarly, subjects that I may find boring are more difficult to teach. Humor can help grease the wheels to keep things moving, even if the subject at hand isn't the most entertaining.
Humor is also a great way to help pull students out of a bad mood. You need to gauge the student's current attitude and their general personality, but I find that humor usually helps loosen things up.
Carolyn,
I agree. A shared laugh has many benefits in helping students to stay engaged.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Humor always seem to lighten the mood of your students.
I believe that being able to laugh at your self sometime is good, and it allows the student know that we as teachers are human too.
Bernadette,
Good point. Teaching is a form of edutainment. There needs to be a blend of acting and content sharing to keep the students engaged.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I always say that being an instructor is totally about performance. You need a red nose to keep attention. If you are not tired after class you did not perform.
I also use humor in my class to keep students engaged
Tom,
They really like these stories don't they? The stories seem to make the content come alive and have application for the students. Humor is a wonderful way to bring relief and pause to the classroom, plus we all like to laugh now and then.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
