How to Use Humor in Teaching
Any teacher will tell you that one of the hardest things about being a teacher is keeping students engaged. Whether the class is AP Physics or Psychology 101, an instructor has to compete with myriad distractions. One of the best methods for keeping students focused on your class is using humor. By keeping a few simple rules in mind, you can use humor in the classroom to help your students learn, even if you're not a natural comedian.
Instructions
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Know your audience. Middle school students, highschoolers and even 19-year-old college students do not have the same sense of humor as their teachers and professors. Think about what they will find amusing and keep an ear open to what kind of jokes, cracks, remarks and anecdotes show up in your students' conversations.
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Use humor at appropriate times.This means finding the right balance of instruction and joking. Don't let your whole class become an hour long comedy routine. Use humor to keep your students alert and engaged, not as a way to gain popularity. Also, using humor appropriately in the classroom means watching out for inappropriate material. Steer clear of off-color jokes and be sensitive to the cultural backgrounds of all of your students.
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Encourage humor among your students. Let them know that it is OK to cut loose and joke around occasionally. The benefits of a happy, smiling classroom outweigh the time lost on humorous tangents. Group projects are a great place for them to use humor, as long as they cover the assigned material as well.
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Don't try too hard to jazz up the material you are teaching. Sometimes, things like geometry and physics are going to bore students. This is OK. Don't try to compensate by delivering the material in a humorous package, like a funny song. Use humor to create a positive classroom environment, but don't let it obscure the material when it's time to really teach.
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Don't exclude anyone. Stay away from "in jokes" between you and a few students. The whole class should feel included in the humor, not just a few popular, outgoing students or the class clowns.
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Tips & Warnings
Be yourself. The best humor comes from your own personality and experience.
Be creative with the types of humor you bring to the class. Jokes are great, but don't forget forms like anecdotes, riddles and cartoons.
Be conscious of your position as an authority figure and employee of the school. If you feel you are "pushing the envelope" or getting a little close to the edge with your jokes, you should back off immediately.
