"Humor can act as a social lubricant or a social retardant in the educational setting. It can educate or denigrate, heal or harm, embrace or deface. It's a powerful communication tool, no matter which side is chosen."
"Joy Master vs. Joke Maker vs. Life Mocker vs. Fun Meister
It is crucial for us to identify our humor style--it is such a powerful tool--we need to use it in an empowering manner! Please discuss ways we can utilize this information to make our classrooms, colleagues, and schools better.
Does your humor style bring you closer to your students?
Does it enliven them or deaden them?
Is it helping you reach your teaching goals?
Is it enhancing and promoting a learning environment in your classroom?
4 comments:
I enjoyed reading this section in the book and taking the quizzes. I had characteristics from the Joy Master and Fun Meister. The way that a teacher conducts his/her class, rubs off on the other students...just as it does with your own children. If I make a comment about someone and my daughter overhears, I can count on it being repeated. Same thing goes with my students...if they think that it is okay to act a certain way, they'll do it.
I believe that my humor style makes my students feel comfortable, safe and aware. I had teachers in the past that used sarcasm and ridicule and I despised it. I always try to reflect back to that when I teach.
I think that doing an exercise like the one we read about Joy Makers, Joy Master, Life Mocker and Fun Meister in the classroom would be a great learning experience. It would open some communication and make students aware of themselves.
I've always been aware that humor can either help or hurt, depending on how it is used. I never really thought about it being broken down further into more styles.
I have the characteristics of a Joy Master, and I'm uncomfortable around those who are Life Mockers. I have a few positive traits of the Joke Maker, but I wish that I had quicker wit.
I believe that when students are smiling and having a good time, they are learning more. The lessons are certainly more memorable. Using jokes, word play, or silly songs to teach concepts makes learning more fun.
We just concluded a week of Vacation Bible School. I really believe that the students who attended will remember many of the concepts and Bible stories because of the way in which they were presented. Stories were acted out with students themselves participating, songs were sung which had simple verses and fun actions, and the leader ended every day with a joke relating to the character of the day. Most of the group leaders were truly interested in making it enjoyable. They showed that religion is anything but boring! The lessons were definitely more fun than sitting and listening or just reading the material.
In the classroom when I see children losing interest in what's going on or looking confused, I need to remember the importance of adding some humor to lighten things up. If students are feeling relaxed and comfortable in the learning environment, they should feel less anxious about learning the material. Smiling is one of the best and easist ways to calm everyone's fears!
I would like to think that my sense of humor has never offended anyone, but that would be a little too "Pollyanna"! I'm sure over the years we have all offended someone with what we have said. Just as the bottom of page 13 suggests, our styles, personal taste, or cultures would see to that. However, as teachers, it is up to us to see that we are not allowing ourselves or other students to use humor or non humor to in any way indicate any form of harrassment to another student.
I try to start off my school year in a strict mode the first little while and then add humor. (At the middle school level) I think it is important to show how much you care about them along the way too.
You asked:
Does humor bring you closer to students? I feel it has worked well for me. In the middle school, I have a lot of students that reach out to me for their personal issues, etc.. that I do not see happening with teachers that are less engaged with the students. Part of my success is topic area too. I have taught health; we have been able to discuss a lot of different subject matter. The combination has been great for me.
Does it enliven or deaden them? It can do both. Students look at what a teacher does and can see right through you. They know your heart. They can tell if your words match your actions. They know if you mean what you say and say what you mean.
Is it helping you reach your teaching goals? In my case, YES! My students work hard for me. I have a fairly good ratio of students that turn in assignmens for me. When we meet and discuss studnet performance, I will have students that perform for me that are not performing for other teachers. I think that my style is working for my classroom.
How do we make our classrooms, colleages, schools better? Million Dollar Question...I would retire if I had that answer!!! I guess more humor:)
I found the four types of humor also very interesting. I tend to place myself within three ranges; Joy Matster, and the positive sides of Joke Maker and Fun Meister. The students that stick out as problematic for me in my classes have, interestingly enough, the negative aspects of humor. The kids that ridicule and cynical are so hard to relate to and deal with...most of the time they don't even understand why their humor is so inappropriate in class. I agree with "sklepp" that giving this to students would be very helpful.
My classes tend to be filled with laughing and humor. I try to find comics that relate to the topic of study (similes and metaphors and higher level vocabulary words are often found in comic strips). My students get extra credit for any type of example they can find in comics, or around them. When the students come into my class, they frequently go up to the bulletin board with the comics and read them over and over.
Thinking about the different styles of humor, I teach five classes a day the same lesson. What works in one of my classes, or makes a class laugh, is sometimes a complete bomb in my other classes. I get whole classes laughing the whole lessons, where other classes sit in their seats and are serious. Thinking about the students, their humor styles were also very different. The classes that didn't laugh tended to associate more with the negative type of humor.
Humor definitely makes the class more enjoyable and easier to get through the day. I know that my students also will come and talk to me much more than the more serious teachers in the school.
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