humor
The use of humor to put the students and instructor at ease is a time tested device. However, I often wonder if entertainment has compromised education though, looking out at the classroom, I see attentive students and can easily draw them into the discussion. Any thoughts or pointers would be appreciated.
Hi Warren,
You make a good point about humor. I believe the classroom should be a place that has learning as its' number one goal. No surprise here. There are many different ways to engage learners in the process without making the classroom a stage for MTV. Where humor comes in is when you the instructor makes a mistake and can laugh it off and go on. At other times I have found a silly joke and help to ease the tension of covering a highly technical area and then back to the content. Instructors need to have a sense of humor to make it through the day/night with the students they have but the classroom doesn't need to be a laugh a minute type of settin.
As you mentioned you can see in you students' eyes whether they are engaged or not in what you are teaching. Use that knowledge to your advantage and you will do well.
Good teaching.
Gary
It is so difficult to keep students engaged that I prefer to use humor as much possible. Although it may seem to distract attention from the session objectives, it re-engages the students.
To paraphrase Mary Poppins: A little bit of laughter makes the medicine go down. The trick (and best way of keeping your class from becoming a side show) is to draw your humor from the career itself. War stories from the field, especially if unusual or amusing, can often illustrate a point far better than an hour's worth of lecture. And students remember them far better as well.
Hi Fred,
You have the humor bit down pat. When you blend humor with career applications you have a winner. Good suggestion.
Gary
I personally think that humor plays a part in teaching. the reason being it plays a good part in instructor and student relationship. I think it lets the student know you are human.
Hi Dupre,
Humans like to laugh and laughter is good for the mind and soul. Laughter also helps to reduce tension for students. Instructors need to make good use of the most important tool when they can.
Gary
I fully agree with you, Dupree. While there is a difference between humor and silliness, a somber mood is seldom productive. I have found that when the "air in the room feels dead" as it sometimes does, a humorous comment (but definitely without denegration to anyone) can turn it around. One of the classes I teach requires me to fly to their location each week. In the beginning of the program, I started out with a humorous story about my travel that day(always true!). It was a good way to reconnect and to begin with something "human."
Jennie
Hi Jennie,
You are right on target with your comments about humor. It is a key part of being a good teacher. It seems that all types of situations creep into the classroom and these situations can either make or break you at instructor. It all depends on how you handle them. Just as with your travel stories, you can use humor to set the stage for settling the students down and getting them focused. Then the situations can be resolved and everyone moves on. Sometimes students forget that instructors are humans same as they are, and by sharing stories or a humorous situation that connection is made.
Gary
I find that new students are so intensed and stressed over the first few weeks that a side comment, or any attempt at humor is at first looked at with wide eyes and then certainly a laugh---established students like humor just to releive some stress also--or even just a Good Morning!!!!!
In my opinon, humor is a good opener for a topic discussion. The real challenge is to manage the topic and discussion so that it doesn't get out of control and the class stays on target.
Entertainment has its place and time. As long as it isn't abused, it can be a helpful tool.
Thanks,
Schawn Pedersen
Hi Lori,
Good point. Once you get the "deer out of the headlights" look out of your students' eyes they will start to appreciate your humor. New students always amuse me by how serious they are. They don't know what to expect and are feeling a great deal of pressure. After a few days of getting to know each other we settle down and start to enjoy humor from situations that we find ourselves in.
Gary
Hi Schawn,
Good comment. Humour should be used to ligthen a moment, and share a laugh with the class. The students are there to learn and humor can be one of the tools used, but should not overtake the learning environment.
Gary
I think that humor plays a huge part in teaching. However, you should know when a joke can be helpful to students. When they are tense cause of a class difficulties or a personal problem a humor story will change their down attitude to positive attitude.
Hi Daniel,
One of the things about great teachers is that they have a tool bag full of timely sayings, jokes, and expressions that fit into just the right occasion. I encourage beginning instructors to put together a file of just such items so they have something to fall back on when they need to encourage their students. You make a good point.
Gary
I think the problem that comes in with utelizing humor in the classroom stems from two potential problem areas.
Timing.
Content.
Often the gag reflex, not to be confused with the one from Gross Anatomy, takes over and an otherwise brilliant speaker ends up reaching for salt for that ol' shoe leather.
If the little joke gets too big for its britches, it ends up filling up the alloted time for the actual teaching. Big buildups in a monologue have their place, but not during a lesson. If you find yourself speaking in paragraphs to set up a joke, you have just defeated the purpose and turned the days lesson into a gong show outtake.
Instead, do a drive by on their funny bone. Take your shot and hit or miss, move on with the lesson. On a rare occassion, I have this tactic misfire when the class got TOO involved with the joke... returning fire with soft drink through the nose being the worst incident... but that too can be made to work by revisiting the scene of the crime again and again when the lesson permits... becoming a pseudo-mnemonic.
If you have to make too big a departure from the topic, the joke isnt worth the effort to get there. Work the joke into the topic. For example, if you are resizing a powerpoint graphic.... ask the gentle seeming little grandmother in the first row ((who has proven to have an earthy sense of humor)) if size is important. If you are having a student do a "smoke test" on a repaired computer system... put on a catchers mask.... or duck behind a desk just before they turn it on. Don't start reading off the latest email someone sent you about the little old man that found a box with dolls and a lot of money in his wifes possessions and asked her about it.
Last but not least... practice, practice, practice. Improvisation comedy CAN be funny, but more misfires happen. AS you are writing out the lecture notes, write the jokes in. As you practice the lecture, practice delivering the jokes. They will stop being funny to you after awhile... but the audience will still be hearing it for the first time.
On the other hand, I may have no clue... I prayed for strength, a sense of humor, and patience when I was younger. I'm still waiting for all of it.
I keep humor to a minimum. It's nice to joke about current events but I let my students know that we are here for a reason.
Hi Myron,
A key part of humor in the classroom is to be able to laugh when you make a mistake and then move on. The use of humor in the classroom is to keep things light when needed. Humor is not meant to replace content or be a diversion to the reason why the students are enrolled in the course.
Gary
I agree! Especially during the first class, when covering syllabi and school procedures that students have heard before. Humor relieves stress, builds rapport, and breaks the monotony of the first day. "Syllabus Day" (as I used to call it as a student) had a tendency to be boring and predictable...
I like to use humor to break up the day, and keep
the blood pumping.
You need the student to learn, but after a certain amount of time, a change of direction is
needed.
Jokes that are in good taste, are a good way to do that.
