“It doesn’t make much difference what you study, as long as you don’t like it.”

Over the past month I’ve looked at numerous ways that humor can be incorporated into an educational environment to produce an atmosphere that students not only enjoy but also one in which they do a lot of learning. Of course, the learning is what teachers are most interested in, but there’s nothing that says learning can’t be fun. I’ve been trying to show how learning can/should be fun and why humor is so necessary in classrooms. I think I’ve come up with some interesting ideas.

I’ve looked at the health benefits humor offers. Humor is one of the great stress relievers of all time. While my astute professor/distant cousin, Dr. Laura Lunsford, (correctly) points out that humans need some stress to remain productive and efficient members of society, too much stress is certainly a negative. Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine.

In addition to helping alleviate negative stress, humor can also improve memory and can increase blood flow to the brain and heart. Is there anything humor can’t do??? Perhaps, but that is outside the scope of this blog.

I’ve looked at different types of humor that might be useful in a classroom environment. The two that I primarily focused on were irony and satire because these two turn up with such frequency in the literary and political works that teachers force students to study that to not give an adequate presentation of them would be nearly criminal. Plus, irony and satire can be so friggin funny.

Here’s a video that is both ironic and satirical. Bonus points if you can explain why.

I’ve looked at different ways to get students to practice using humor. One of the ongoing trends in education in the 21^st century is the growing cultural diversity in schools. Teachers must accommodate a diverse set of learners who will undoubtedly have what Howard Gardner calls “Multiple Intelligences.” Teaching students who learn best in a variety of ways opens the door to creative uses of humor, and I’ve outlined several of these, particularly through the use of humorous writing.

As far as I can tell, appropriately used humor (a definition of which I will leave up to school administrators) should be one of the keystones for building education in the 21^st century. It has beneficial effects on health, it turns up time and again in historical and literary texts that students are assigned, and it has limitless applications for teaching diverse learners. PLUS people enjoy humor; they love being able to laugh. Shouldn’t we try to associate something people love doing with education?!

I leave you with this fitting article from my favorite news source, The Onion.

Humorous Writing

I’ve tried my best to prove that the use of humor can be an effective tool in schools. I believe that Cheryl Nason, a professional trainer of educators, sums up my beliefs quite well. “[I]n a school climate increasingly concerned with convergent thinking and finding the right answer, humor challenges students to think divergently, creatively, and to welcome an array of possibilities.” Disciplines such as the social sciences and English have plenty of room for this type of divergent thinking, especially when it comes to the interpretation of the written word.

I think it is fair to say that every teacher would ideally want for her students to be effective readers and writers. Well, I’ve said again and again that we need more humor in our schools, so let’s look at some ways that we can improve students’ writing through the use of humor.

Double Entendres

From Merriam-Webster:

1: ambiguity of meaning arising from language that lends itself to more than one interpretation

2: a word or expression capable of two interpretations with one usually risqué

Western Washington University professor Bruce Goebel believes that practicing double entendres is a great way for students to find humor in their writing. “Such an activity prompts students to associate metaphorically and think in divergent ways to uncover multiple possibilities. It also provides them with a simple strategy for adding a comic touch to any humorous story or essay they might choose to write.”

How can students practice this skill? In a warm-up brainstorming activity give students a professional character, and instruct them to devise a list of as many verbs that might metaphorically describe a physical or psychological condition of that person. Goebel says “For example, in describing how a firefighter might feel coming home from work, one might list burned up, torched, fired up, steaming, and not too hot.” Using these words, students can create comic sentences that play off the multiple meanings

Can you spot the double entendre in this commercial?

Funny Poetry

For as long as there has been poetry in schools, teenagers have hated poetry. But poetry is an art-form, and some of our greatest literary figures have used poetry to add to our culture. So let’s try to make poetry fun for our students for a change, beginning with the most simple of all poetry: the Haiku. Haikus are great teaching devices because they are uncomplicated and they emphasize concise language and careful word choice.

Here’s your typical Haiku: Fluttering, stars bounce/ A cat sways carmine fruits/ Wisdom spreads water.

Pretty lame, huh? Alright, let’s think of some ways to interject humor into the art of the Haiku. Goebel says that “While the formal rules remain the same…the goal is to first set up a moment, image, or scene and then offer a humorous twist.” That’s kind of vague. Here’s a good place to start: think of something that really pisses you off, and make a Haiku about it.  The New York author Siobhan Adcock offers Hipsters as a good target for these Haikus. Here’s an example from her website:

My blue collar job
paid for these 40s, homeboy!
Sunglasses at night

This poem is a success because it obeys the formal rules for Haiku, is concise, paints a clear visual image, and manages to make fun of those crappy hipster people all at the same time! Hilarious!

Comic Characters

We teach in a world run by standardized tests which leave little room for creative writing. The writing that is allowed often is merely expository or persuasive (i.e. stuff that usually isn’t that funny). That’s a shame because the art of story-telling embodied in fictional prose is, as Goebel says, “one of the fundamental aspects of human life.” We need to reintroduce ourselves to the comic narrative.  A good exercise for students to try is based on a system created by the author John Vorhaus which identifies four things that are necessary for creating a comic character: comic perspective, flaws, exaggeration, and humanity. I’ll give this a test run for a character I’ll call “Gerard Tetel.”

Character: “Gerard Tetel”

Comic Perspective: wants to be a high school history teacher

Flaws: knows too much about history for his own damn good

Exaggeration: incapable of teaching without breaking into Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score from the Broadway hit “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”

Humanity: well meaning

Once students have figured out their characters, they’ll need to brainstorm some conflicts and possible comedic moments that might occur because of their character’s flaws (I wonder what will happen when “Gerard” starts singing Joseph in his fourth period AP US History class! I bet those seniors really let him have it!)

I guess my point with all this is that humor not only leads to more student interest in school in general and writing in particular, it also gives students a better understanding of their own language.

Satirical Humor

Many types of humor can be useful in the classroom, but perhaps one of the best is satire. I think this is the case because we find satire in so many of the great literary works and political commentaries that we require our students to read. Satire allows us a chance to view societies through the lenses of contemporary critics. This is especially helpful in a discipline such as history because we can begin to empathize with the people who actually lived in the period. It gives us a human perspective of historical events that can add much needed life to traditional textbook based lessons.

So what is satire, anyway? Let’s start with a definition. Merriam-Webster gives us two:

1. A literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn.

2. Trenchant wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly.

These definitions are important because they underscore the key to satire: its purpose is to display “vice or folly.” Simply making fun of a politician is not sufficient for satire. That is why this is not satire…

…but this is…

The first video of former Defense Secy. Donald Rumsfeld is funny. However, it does not point out one of Rumsfeld’s (many) vices. It’s just trick camera work. Funny. But not satire.

On the other hand, Will Ferrell’s impersonation of Dubya is a perfect example of satire. Ferrell is ridiculing the former president for his perceived lack of intellectual acuity. He is attempting to “expose and discredit” one of the President’s shortcomings.

So what are some examples of satire that we see in literature? Here are some of the most notable.

Literary Work: What it Satirizes

Voltaire’s Candide: Optimism

Orwell’s Animal Farm: Stalinist Russia

Palahniuk’s Fight Club: Masculinity and Nihilism

Twain’s King Leopold’s Soliloquy: Imperialism

The list could go on and on, but for brevity’s sake we’ll stop here. Here is an additional list of literary satire.

No description of satire would be complete without mentioning a modern day giant in the field. I’m speaking, of course, of The Onion. Also, here’s one that doesn’t have anything to do with satire. Sometimes we just need a good laugh.

Humor and Multiple Intelligences

We’ve been talking a lot about Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences in class lately. Gardner’s theory argues that intelligence, as it is traditionally defined by IQ tests, does not account for the incredibly wide assortment of abilities that humans display. Gardner decided we needed to broaden our definition of “intelligence,” so he came up with his own list of multiple intelligences which he felt more aptly described the human condition.

If we accept Gardner’s theory that different students can be especially proficient in one or more types of intelligences, then teachers need to adapt their lessons to encourage these types of skills. And if you also happen to believe, as I do, that humor should be incorporated into every lesson, then we need to find ways to make humor jive with these multiple intelligences. Luckily, with a creative mind, this should not pose any significant problems.

Let’s take a look at the types of intelligence.

Interpersonal Intelligence deals with our interactions with others. These students are characterized by their sensitivity to others’ moods and feelings. One way to get students who have high interpersonal intelligence excited about school work is to allow them to work in groups. Perhaps the students would be studying the cultural influence of comedic groups such as the Marx Brothers. After reading and writing on the subject, it would be fascinating to have the class put on their own version of a classic skit.

Intrapersonal Intelligence has to do with introspective and self-reflective capabilities. Students who have high intrapersonal intelligence might be more introverted and aware of their own emotions and motivations. The ability to understand ourselves better by being able to laugh at our own quirks can help students mature. As stated in a previous blog post, humor can be a healthy defense mechanism. A good way to teach students with high intrapersonal intelligence might be to encourage journal writing on subjects that the student finds humorous.

Verbal-Linguistic intelligence has to do with words, spoken or written. People with high verbal-linguistic intelligence display skill with words and languages. My talented colleague Harry Maxon has a great idea for teaching humor to students who have high linguistic intelligence. Have the students study humorous poetry from a previous historical era. It might not seem funny to them at first, but after studying the context behind the words, it will become clearer. Then have the students re-write the poem in a 21^st century style complete with their own brand of humor. If they can do this, not only will it be extremely entertaining, it will also ensure they understand the original poem.

Logical-Mathematical intelligence has to do with logic, abstractions, reasoning, and numbers. Mathematical intelligence was always difficult and stressful for me. Many students will find that with a little humor added to the mix, math will become easier. Take a look at these examples of humor in math, and see if the concepts are slightly easier to grasp.

Visual-Spatial Intelligence has to do with vision and spatial judgment. People with strong visual-spatial intelligence are typically very good at visualizing and mentally manipulating objects. These learners might be talented artists, and art is one of the easiest subjects to pair with humor. During a unit on political conflict in the 19^th century, it would be helpful to study the political cartoons of the era. Students could compare these cartoons to modern cartoons, and eventually create their own.

Musical Intelligence deals with rhythm, music, and hearing. Students excelling in this type of intelligence will have a greater sensitivity to sounds, tones, and music. An easy way to incorporate music into any type of lesson would be to have students write songs and lyrics for material they are trying to learn. My guess is that it would be extremely funny and would help them retain the needed concepts and facts.

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence concerns bodily movement and psychology. These students will enjoy moving around in the learning experience. Suppose your students are studying the 1920s in America. They will probably hear about new dance crazes like the Fox Trot or the Charleston. Instead of only reading about these dances, let someone who has high kinesthetic intelligence demonstrate them. It will be both entertaining and memorable.

Humor and Stress

Did school ever make you feel like this guy?

I once saw a bumper sticker that read “As long as teachers give tests, there will be prayer in school.” I agree with that statement, though probably not for the same reasons as the driver of the car. He was probably trying to make a political point about the futility of trying to remove religion from school. I might have re-written the bumper sticker to express a more secular attitude. It would have read like this: “As long as teachers give tests, there will be some very stressed-out kids.”

School in general and tests in particular can really stress out kids. They feel like they are constantly evaluated, judged, and in competition with classmates. Students know that their academic futures – and in many ways their professional lives – ride on the grades they receive in school. This does not sound like the healthiest of ways to educate our youth, and some studies suggest that high levels of stress really can harm humans’ potential to learn. Researchers at UC Irvine have demonstrated that high levels of acute stress can cause people to have difficulty retaining information. When subjected to high-stress situations our bodies release molecules called Corticotropin Releasing Hormones (CRH) which can cause disintegration of the brain’s dendritic spines that house the synapses that control learning and memory. Ouch.

What does this have to do with humor? Well, humor is one helluva great stress reliever. Many people might expect humor and the laughter it elicits to relieve stress, but few understand the myriad positive biological repercussions that a good chuckle can have. Laughter can lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, boost immunity, and release endorphins – the body’s natural feel-good chemical. University of Maryland researchers have conducted a study that proves laughter also helps increase blood flow by causing the tissue that forms the inner lining of blood vessels to dilate or expand. When there is increased blood flow, then the brain receives more blood. And when more blood gets to the brain, more oxygen gets to the brain. A well-oxygenated brain is able to perform its duties (perhaps learning about American history?) in a more efficient manner.

It seems clear. Stress is bad for learning, and humor is bad for stress. Using the transitive property we see that humor must be good for learning.

Are you currently facing some stressful situations in your own life? Once again, The Onion has your back.

Humor and Memory

Of the many reasons that people enjoy humor, one that might be of particular interest to educators is the relationship between humor and memory. For better or worse, one thing that teachers constantly call upon students for is a regurgitation of some supposedly learned information. The commanders of a war, the themes of a novel, the components of a human cell, and (not to leave out math) the rules for factoring polynomials are all typical pieces of information that have one thing in common: they can be damn tough to remember.

Plenty of experts have come up with products that purportedly improve one’s memory. Maybe some of them work, probably most of them don’t. But significant amounts of research suggest that humor may be one answer to our memory problems.  This is a phenomenon that many of us have observed, but it can be tricky to explain. For instance, if I were to ask you if you remembered the 2003 Super Bowl advertisement featuring Terry Tate, the office linebacker, many of you would probably respond with something along the lines of “Yes! Terry Tate, the office linebacker, is hilarious! I love Terry Tate!” You would be correct. Terry Tate is hilarious, and you should remember him. In case you have somehow forgotten about Terry, here he is:

That was a great commercial, and certainly quite humorous. However, before watching that clip, would you have been able to tell me that Terry Tate was pushing Reebok apparel? The humor in the advertisement was definitely strong enough to affect my memory – here I am six and a half years later, and I’m still talking about it. But I had no idea what company was behind the ad. That’s problematic.

The same problem can exist in a classroom setting. Teachers can throw jokes at students all day long (even good jokes), and all the students will remember is that class was funny that particular day. I’m not sure I have a perfect answer for this problem. Humor clearly helps with memory, but too much humor can obscure significant messages about a school subject. So what can teachers take away from this? It’s a “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” situation. Too little humor and students won’t remember enough material. Too much humor and students will only remember that their teacher is a clown. Teachers need just the right amount of humor to make their material stick.

Irony in the Classroom

Irony can be one of the greatest ways to insert humor into a situation. However, confusion exists on what qualifies as an ironic circumstance. Here’s one way that Merriam-Webster defines “irony:”

a: the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning b: a usually humorous or sardonic literary style or form characterized by irony c: an ironic expression or utterance.

Here’s an example of an ironic picture:

Or can I?

This picture qualifies as ironic because the sign reading “I can’t afford a sign” is, in fact, a sign.

Here’s another definition of irony:

(1): incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result (2): an event or result marked by such incongruity (3): incongruity between a situation developed in a drama and the accompanying words or actions that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play —called also dramatic irony

Many of the situations described by Alanis Morisette in her song, Ironic, are not actually ironic, rather they are what I would call “bummers.” Simply having a bad piece of luck does not qualify as irony. Perhaps a better musical demonstration of irony would be Carly Simon’s  You’re So Vain which describes a man who believes a song is about him (the normal or expected result for a vain person) when the song actually has nothing to do with him (the incongruous actual result).

Since irony is funny and can make ordinary situations more interesting, we should find ways to use it in schools to make class more stimulating. Luckily, history abounds with cases of irony from which to draw for class.

For instance, the events that led to the naming of Washington State would qualify as ironic. Originally the area of land that we now know as Washington in the Pacific Northwest was part of Oregon. But in 1852 when settlers decided that the land north of the Columbia River should be its own territory, they needed to name it. The name they came up with? Columbia. However, only Congress can officially name states, and in 1853 a Kentucky Congressman named Richard Stanton decided the name “Columbia” was too confusing since at the time America’s capital (which contained four separate districts) was primarily referred to either as the District of Columbia or the Federal City. Stanton decided the new territory should be named “Washington,” in honor of our first president, to avoid the uncertainty. This seems ironic, but it is not yet. The irony comes in 1871 when the last of the four separate districts within DC (Georgetown, in this case) ceased to be its own city. The resulting area which comprised the former districts became “Washington,” and the state which Congress renamed to avoid confusion with the nation’s capital immediately became confused with nation’s capital. Irony is great.

Here’s another great article from The Onion.

The Problem of the Class Clown

Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about ways to incorporate humor into my future classrooms. It’s clear to me that students enjoy learning when they are exposed to educational materials that take humorous slants on traditional subjects. For example, I think it would be difficult (and possibly foolish) for any social studies teacher of any grade level to attempt to explain how a bill becomes a law without using this:

But how should teachers react when their humorous take on teaching inspires students to respond with their own brand of humor that can at times be inappropriate in a mature educational environment? I’m referring to the problem of the class clown. Every teacher has to deal with them, and it can certainly be frustrating!

To understand how to handle a student who seems intent on turning everything into a joke, it is important to understand why he/she might be acting out in the first place. People use humor for many reasons, but one of the most common uses is as a defense mechanism. Some defense mechanisms, such as denial, can be unhealthy. However, some defense mechanisms can be essential for helping us enhance feelings of control and can help us resolve conflicting emotions and thoughts. Humor can help people express emotional ideas and feelings that may be too difficult to discuss in a more serious, sober way.

This begs a serious question: if a student is using humor as a healthy way of allowing himself to feel more secure in the classroom, should the teacher attempt to curtail the behavior? This can be a tricky situation since not all humor is equally appropriate for school, but some educators believe the best way to deal with a class clown is to do what comes naturally when we hear something funny: laugh.

Assuming that the class clown does not egregiously overstep the bounds  of appropriate classroom decorum, laughing along with the class can help the teacher create a bond with his/her students, and it can help the students realize that their teacher is genuine and not some kind of detached killjoy.

As a reward for reading this blog post, please read this article from The Onion.

Does Humor Have a Place in the Classroom?

Or to put it differently: is it OK for teachers to be funny? It does not necessarily mesh with the memories many of us have of our childhood teachers. Almost everyone can recall a particular teacher who was a terror. In fact, there is a good chance that out of all the things you were supposed to remember about this person’s class (history, math, science, etc.), the only thing that really sticks out is that you were petrified. That’s one kind of bad teacher. Did he or she remind you of this:

Other types of bad teachers exist as well. An example is the teacher that bored you to tears. Perhaps it was the monotonous voice or the unending stream of worksheets. This is even worse than the terrifying teacher because at least you remembered her. What was this guy’s name again? Who cares…

Maybe he sounded a bit like this:

The point is students need excitement! They need to be happy that they are in school so that they can be their most productive. They need to walk into classrooms wearing a smile. And what is the best way to elicit a smile? Make them laugh.

There are a couple of ideas implicit in the above paragraph which I would like to briefly (if not scientifically) demonstrate.

-          Idea 1: Laughter causes smiles: please skim this article from The Onion on an important archaeological discovery. After reading, please note whether you are smiling. If you are smiling, then congratulations! There is a good chance that you just laughed.

-          Idea 2: Smiles indicate the high probability of happiness: after reading the previous article from The Onion, and after observing your corresponding facial expression, would you please rate your current emotional state on a scale of 1-10 (10 indicating that you are overcome with euphoria and 1 indicating that you believe you just read a legitimate, peer-reviewed journal article).

-          Idea 3: Happiness leads to increased productivity and efficiency: after reading the article from The Onion, did you find yourself going through the website’s archives to find more articles? Are you finding that you are reading several more right now? How quickly are you reading them? My guess is that you are at least interested in exploring more of what The Onion has to offer because they are making you laugh, and that is making you very happy. I hope.

This is not to suggest that teachers should act like stand-up comedians in the classroom. Nor is it to suggest that teachers should assign ridiculous readings to obtain cheap laughs at the expense of deep understandings. The point is that when teachers do incorporate tools that strategically implement humor, students will find that they can actually enjoy learning. So, is it OK for teachers to be funny in the classroom? If we want our students to be happy, productive learners, then perhaps the better question would be “can we afford for our teachers not to be funny?”

Hey! What is this!?

Let’s face it. Learning can be tough. I mean really tough. The world has an infinite supply of ideas and facts (have you seen this thing called the “internet?”), and most of us have been told that to succeed in this complicated and nuanced world we need to become life-long learners. That sounds stressful, and if we continue to practice learning using archaic methods like rote memorization and regurgitation, then odds are that all we will learn is that learning is no fun. But there’s a key word in there: fun. Is it possible that learning could actually be fun?

The goal of this blog will be to demonstrate that not only can learning be enjoyable, it should be enjoyable. This will be accomplished by investigating the use of well-placed humor in learning environments and by showing how humor in general can positively affect our psychological states.

My hope is to see that students (and that is what we all are if we strive to be life-long learners) are better able to conceptualize the ideas with which they are presented if interspersed among these ideas are moments of irony, humorous anecdotes, and the like.

As the author Mary Hirsch said “Humor is a rubber sword – it allows you to make a point without drawing blood.” As a future educator I look forward to many years of making a great number of effective, humorous points.