So, you want to be a fun teacher, or do you want to be a funny teacher? There is a difference. A fun teacher makes the class enjoyable, whereas a funny teacher makes the class hysterical. A fun teacher's lesson makes the material more easily memorized, whereas a funny teacher makes the material more memorable. I choose to be a funny teacher who has fun lessons. There are many reasons why I choose to be the funny teacher.
1.) The students love what is unexpected, and a teacher cracking jokes is at the top of that list.
2.) Humor builds a positive climate in my classroom.
3.) The curriculum becomes more fun for everyone and therefore easier to learn and remember.
4.) I like my job more.
5.) Do I really need to think of another point to convey my point?
While the first three are important points, the fourth one is the most important point to me. Come on- a teacher's happiness is the root of all happiness in the classroom. If I keep my spirits up, I keep the students engaged and their spirits even higher. After all kids are naturally spirited folks, so I don't even need to be a professional comedian. Just about anything out of the ordinary tickles their funny bone enough to invoke laughter.
So, let's say that you are not the Jedi Master of Humor. How can you make yourself more humorous? Good news, this guy Ronald A Berk wrote this book Actually, "the original title of the book was 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, but he ran into some legal snags." So the new book was instead titled...( Wait for it...) Professors are From Mars and Students are From Snickers. And isn't that so true. Though we come from different planets, we are both chocolate, but I guess the kids are more nutty (Snickers, get it? Maybe I didn't need to explain that one).
So if you want to be nutty too, remember these tips to get your humor on.
1.) If you stink at spontaneity, pre-plan your humor!- Find a funny cartoon, a hyperbole, a ridiculous image, an outrageous simile, metaphor, idiom, joke, or artichoke about your topic. Don't fear, use google to find these!
2.) Timing is everything! Wait for it, wait for it, wait for it... Don't be in a rush to deliver the punch line. A dramatic pause leaves every student hanging off the tip of your tongue. (Not literally, thank goodness!)
3.) Involve your Audience in the action. Ask them a humorous question, give a funny quiz, have them shout out answers. Use the participation to build the tension before punch lines or to add silly movements to a sit and get presentation. When asking my students to get ready for white board exercises in math. I have them practice doing biceps curls and military presses with their white boards. This always gets a good response. Remember the most memorable activities involve your audience to write, speak, shout, move, stand, raise their hand or smack the person next to them (preferably with a blunt object).
4.) Keep the students entertained by varying your voice! No one wants to listen to "Bueller... Bueller... Bueller," in a monotone voice. You are an actress (or actor) and you are on a stage. Heck you are famous, (at least to these 30 wide eyed children in front of you). So, take advantage. Use emotion, funny voices, dramatic pauses, screeching, shrills, noise effects, bodily sounds and songs to really make an impact on your student memories. Remember when it comes to voice level, tone and speed, the unexpected will always result in what you hope to expect... laughter!
5.) When you have nothing good left to say, spice up the curriculum with your face and body gestures. Your body tells more of the story than your voice. You have to paint a picture of funny in the students minds, so what you say is not as dramatic as what you do. Each point needs a funny face or dramatic acting to drive the point home. The more you act, the more engaged the students are. They forget that they are watching a teacher and start to feel that they are watching a movie or t.v. The only down side is the paycheck that you receive for your phenomenal acting skills.
CAUTION: When implementing these tips, students may die of laughter, pee their pants, have crazy laughing fits or even worse love coming to school every day!
Remember, you want your students to remember the material! You want your students to remain engaged (after all increased engagement leads to less behavioral referral paper work for you). You want to love your job. So be the classroom comedian that I know that all of you can be!
If you are having trouble implementing the strategies above, please turn on your local comedy central and start taking notes.
1.) The students love what is unexpected, and a teacher cracking jokes is at the top of that list.
2.) Humor builds a positive climate in my classroom.
3.) The curriculum becomes more fun for everyone and therefore easier to learn and remember.
4.) I like my job more.
5.) Do I really need to think of another point to convey my point?
While the first three are important points, the fourth one is the most important point to me. Come on- a teacher's happiness is the root of all happiness in the classroom. If I keep my spirits up, I keep the students engaged and their spirits even higher. After all kids are naturally spirited folks, so I don't even need to be a professional comedian. Just about anything out of the ordinary tickles their funny bone enough to invoke laughter.
So, let's say that you are not the Jedi Master of Humor. How can you make yourself more humorous? Good news, this guy Ronald A Berk wrote this book Actually, "the original title of the book was 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, but he ran into some legal snags." So the new book was instead titled...( Wait for it...) Professors are From Mars and Students are From Snickers. And isn't that so true. Though we come from different planets, we are both chocolate, but I guess the kids are more nutty (Snickers, get it? Maybe I didn't need to explain that one).
So if you want to be nutty too, remember these tips to get your humor on.
1.) If you stink at spontaneity, pre-plan your humor!- Find a funny cartoon, a hyperbole, a ridiculous image, an outrageous simile, metaphor, idiom, joke, or artichoke about your topic. Don't fear, use google to find these!
2.) Timing is everything! Wait for it, wait for it, wait for it... Don't be in a rush to deliver the punch line. A dramatic pause leaves every student hanging off the tip of your tongue. (Not literally, thank goodness!)
3.) Involve your Audience in the action. Ask them a humorous question, give a funny quiz, have them shout out answers. Use the participation to build the tension before punch lines or to add silly movements to a sit and get presentation. When asking my students to get ready for white board exercises in math. I have them practice doing biceps curls and military presses with their white boards. This always gets a good response. Remember the most memorable activities involve your audience to write, speak, shout, move, stand, raise their hand or smack the person next to them (preferably with a blunt object).
4.) Keep the students entertained by varying your voice! No one wants to listen to "Bueller... Bueller... Bueller," in a monotone voice. You are an actress (or actor) and you are on a stage. Heck you are famous, (at least to these 30 wide eyed children in front of you). So, take advantage. Use emotion, funny voices, dramatic pauses, screeching, shrills, noise effects, bodily sounds and songs to really make an impact on your student memories. Remember when it comes to voice level, tone and speed, the unexpected will always result in what you hope to expect... laughter!
5.) When you have nothing good left to say, spice up the curriculum with your face and body gestures. Your body tells more of the story than your voice. You have to paint a picture of funny in the students minds, so what you say is not as dramatic as what you do. Each point needs a funny face or dramatic acting to drive the point home. The more you act, the more engaged the students are. They forget that they are watching a teacher and start to feel that they are watching a movie or t.v. The only down side is the paycheck that you receive for your phenomenal acting skills.
CAUTION: When implementing these tips, students may die of laughter, pee their pants, have crazy laughing fits or even worse love coming to school every day!
Remember, you want your students to remember the material! You want your students to remain engaged (after all increased engagement leads to less behavioral referral paper work for you). You want to love your job. So be the classroom comedian that I know that all of you can be!
If you are having trouble implementing the strategies above, please turn on your local comedy central and start taking notes.
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