Humor in the classroom
Humor in the classroom can be a way of warming bonds with students which can later be used as a springboard for more serious discussions relating to issues surrounding student retention.
Yes it is true that laughter is good, it has been proven that a person who laughs is healthier. I try to make my students laugh when they are down. On the other hand you have a lot of instructors that does not even smile. They walk around with long faces.
I once wanted to be a stand up comedian. Now, I am a teacher in the classroom of some sort.
The process of learning and retention are very stressful and the preparation in teaching is somewhat, labor intensive. Learning and retention are sometime selective. I learned what I like to learn and not resistive to learning because I have to learn it. This should be done subconsciously like what I called by the process of osmosis in nature.
Absolutely. Adding humor can give the students something they can relate to. It is also more likely they will recall information if it is fun(ny). Silly mnemonics work great in the classroom.
Answer: YES.......We all come from different backgrounds and what is humorous to one is not so much as funny to another. We have to be willing to understand each others background and experiences without passing judgement. With the course that I'm teaching I try and bring humor to scenario’s I present to the class to give them a feel of can, will, or might happen in the real working world. Being stiff all the times makes for a boring class and you loose the attention of your students. You want as an instructor for the students to relate and communicate back to you. Overall I want the students to enjoy learning and crave for more!
As someone once told me, "Don't take life so seriously, you're not going to make it out alive anyway!" Without humor, what we do would take the drive and the fun out of it.
Marcelo, I agree 100% with your opinion. Thru all this years in this business, I learn about the humor. Is the key to the handle the group, but we need to realize when is time for humor and when is time to take serious matter. Unfortunately, the line is extremely fine, but we need to discover the right approach, because if not, we lost the control and respect of the students.
Very elemental points: Never make jokes in delicates themes. Never take a specific person like a target. No religion or political matter. If we can handle the fine line, we will have success.
It is so much easier ti smile thatn to frown. Life has too many ups and down to be so serious. I find that humor in the classroom alleviates certain pressures and stresses.
This may seem strange, but I think humor can most certianly be learned, although I think it may be much more challenging to teach. Humor is different things to different people. You have to learn what works for you.
I think this would be quite in interesting idea for in-service training. How it would work - I'm not too sure, but I certainly like the idea.
You don't what to appear as a "stuffed shirt" however trying to real in a class that has to cavalier an attitude can be detrimental to the learning process.
Humor can be very powerful - in both a positive and negative way. It hurts if a person feels that they are the subject of humor.
Contrived routines are dangerous as well. That's not the instructor's purpose and he/she can come off looking very bad if the 'schtick' doesn't work.
I suspect baking is a subject with more humorous incidents that some other topics, like phlebotomy. How humor can be used in the class room will vary.
First realize that you are an instructor and that's what you get paid to do and don't try to be a stand up comic, laughter is good and students learn I think better in a relaxed environment. Just have FUN!
Hello,
I use humor during my baking demonstrations because I have many great funny stories about many items that the students are making.
I also keep them engaged with my jokes. I will also notice which ones are listening to me when I see them laugh or smirk at my jokes.
Thanks and Aloha,
Geraldine Reyes Chef Instructor
By bringing humor into the class room you bring enjoyment in as well
I agree. Humor is a good way to break the ice and build a good rapport with students. However, there should be limits to how far the jokes go and the type of humor used. The humor should not cross the appropriate student teacher relationship.
Do you find that students from different backgrounds react differently to some forms of humor?
It is great to use humor in the classroom. It should be used to keep the class motivated and moving. It should never get out of control or cross the line. Keep it clean and it is rewarding. At the same time it is used as a tool. Humor can teach people that one it's ok to laugh and have a good time and be productive in a classroom or work setting and two it teaches people to learn how to have a tough skin so if and when things may go sour in the real world it won't be as hurtful or harsh. You have to be able to be comfortable to use humor towards yourself to teach this to the class and it opens up their minds and hearts and it helps them in the long run so they will not get hurt when someone does cross the line in the future or when a customer does.
Or you could try 30/(.5 + 10) to really tax their skills.
I normally use this after a math presentation. Ex:
After going over the procedure to divide fractions by multiply the inverse of the divisor, I would ask the students: what is the answer to 30 divided by 1/2 plus 10? Most of them will answer: 25 but the actual answer is 70 because 30 divided 1/2 is like 30 x 2/1 which is 60 and plus 10 would equal 70.
We would then discuss how we sometime answer the question without reading it carefully to really understand it.
Some of my colleagues also use this technique in their classroom presentation.
