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Greetings from Guam "Of all days, the day on which one has not laughed is the one most surely wasted." - Sebastien-Roch Nicholas de Chamfort (1741-94), French writer One of my students came up with probably the most insightful and best suggestion regarding improving education that I have ever heard, not to mention the fact that I am upset that I did not think of it myself. I was telling my students that the Department of Education is requiring me to take another psychology course, because I only took one psych class in college, and Guam DOE requires two psych courses for certified teachers. (I am going to leave that one alone for the time being - until I am re-certified - then I will give you my opinion on the two psych courses rule and psychology courses in general.) To this, one of my students said; "If I were in charge, I would make all teachers take a comedy course." This led to a lengthy discussion about what makes someone a good teacher or, as the students put it, a "cool" teacher. They mentioned the teachers who create a non-threatening and relaxed atmosphere and who like to laugh and have fun in class. They are definitely against control freaks, this they made clear. As class was winding down and we were putting away all our party favors (whoopie cushions, fake vomit, noise makers, firecrackers, smoke bombs, those birthday candles that won't blow out, and plastic ice cubes with a fly in the middle), the students said that if there was a comedy course that teachers could take, I should teach it. I'm not sure, but I think that was a compliment. So, I got to thinking (and it hurt), that really is a great idea. Not necessarily a comedy course, but a course on using humor in the classroom for all kinds of purposes. So, I approached the 'Humor Specialist' on my research staff - Myk Powell, afternoon talk show host on K57 Talk Radio and former professional stand-up comedian in Hawaii, California, Vatican City, and Toledo - and asked him for his thoughts on the matter and he just laughed. Which, I guess, means that it is indeed a good idea. (Actually his response was exactly the same as mine, "That's a very insightful student.") So, I have set about to create some humor courses for teachers to take. Course descriptions: Sense of Humor Development (Comedy 101) This course will teach the crotchity educator how to: smile, giggle, chuckle, and, yes, laugh heartily. You will be taught the difference between sarcasm and good-natured humor. The final exam will consist of a two-minute continuous smile, followed by a tear-producing hearty laugh. Humor as Tension Diffuser (Comedy 220) Ever been in a class where tensions start to run high between students - tensions that border on a melee? You can address the conflicting students, which only draws the whole class's attention to these students thus putting them on the spot and increasing the pressure on each of them to not back down. In this course, you will be trained how to spot mounting tensions between students and use stupid humor to diffuse the situation before it worsens and ethnic cleansing breaks out. We will teach you a variety of stupid jokes to spring at the slighest hint of trouble. "Say, did I ever tell you guys the one about the Man from Nantucket?" Or, you can make fun of yourself by telling a true or made-up stupid story. "Say, did I ever tell you guys about the time I got my hand stuck in a toilet at a public restroom on the New York State Thruway?" (That is a personal favorite that locks every living thing in the classroom on to your every word.) If you would like a revolution on your hands, tell them that there is not enough time left to tell the story or that you are too embarrassed to tell them. They will forget their personal conflicts and unite in an all-out effort to get you to tell the story. Regardless of the story, you have won. If using ethnic humor such as, "Did you ever hear the one about the Chamorro, Filipino, and the Haole..." - always make sure that the "loser" in the joke is of your ethnic group - you can only make fun of yourself and your people. Physical Slapstick as Attention Getter (Comedy 499**) Teachers will be taught various physical slapstick maneuvers, ranging from the Chevy Chase and Gerald Ford stumble and fall techniques, to Jim Carey face and body contortions. Getting students' attention using humor will keep them attuned to you longer than by repeatedly speaking or yelling at them. You take a fall a couple times in class and no one will want to doze off at the chance they might miss out on another tumble. The louder the fall - i.e. take out a couple of desks and chairs - the better. (** teachers with any of the following health conditions must present a note from their doctor in order to take this course: Emphysema, a pacemaker, wooden leg, or dizzy spells) Seriously, though, I use humor all the time in my classes, for specific purposes - namely those which I have just previously mentioned. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that despite having some "troubled" students in my classes, I have only written up two students in five years of teaching (one in NY and one in Guam - last year). When students are bored: the good student daydreams, the average student sleeps, and the troubled student makes trouble. All teachers are boring at some point, but those who can quickly spot this can just randomly break from whatever boring thing they are doing and do or say something outrageous to bring everyone back. When I have to lecture, I only go for about ten minutes max, then break into a totally unrelated story about my childhood and something pathetic I did as a twerp. Five minutes later I exclaim, "How did we end up here? What was I talking about before all this?" Then they tell me and we are back on track after having a few laughs at my expense - a mental break, or refresher, as I call it. But you don't have to be a teacher to do this. No matter where you work, you should have a daily goal to make someone - a co-worker, or better yet, your boss - laugh. Or, try this one some day: For one day (24 hours) try and get every person you come in contact with to smile. I've done this about four times in the past two years and it is a blast. Avoid going to K-Mart, the guys collecting all the stray shopping carts in the 10-acre parking lot are a tough crowd to crack. The best time to try this is when you wake up on the "wrong side of the bed." About a month ago I was in a "negative" mood for my first-period economic class. (I think that was the morning my coffee spilled in my lap on my way to school - after only two little timid, precious, beautiful, lifesaving sips.) So, there I was, barking about Allan Grennspan's latest comments to some Senate committee about his marriage problems with Andrea Mitchell, and some other stuff that had to do with interest rates or something, when a student told me to lighten up. That was not what I wanted to hear and I told her so. She persisted (God bless her), "I bet you cannot lecture the rest of class and smile at the same time." Me? Back down from a challenge? Well, I did it, which was no small feat. (You try smiling while talking about Allan Greenspan for 30 minutes.) I must have looked funny trying to do it, because the kids started to laugh at me and, then, I started to laugh, too. Then, I threw it back to them and told them that, if I had to smile, then they all had to smile. Well, they put on ridiculous, cheesy, fake smiles and then I realized why they had been laughing at me. We all looked so pathetic. It turned into a laugh riot. Now, whenever I hear Allan Greenspan's name, I laugh. That was probably the best 30 minutes of teaching I have ever done and the most educational for me. And the rest of my day was a gem...minus all the comments about the coffee stains in the crotch of my pants. (Can I use the word "crotch" in this column? Rush? Pat Buchanan? Larry Flynt? Howard? Anybody got a ruling on that one? FCC? Mom?) Hafa Adai Copyright © 1999 |
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