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The magic of humor in the classroom is that it bridges surprise with safety. Classrooms—with their norms, rules, and schedules—create predictability. But attending the same class at the same time every day can become dull.
A teacher who interrupts that routine with a quirky idea or a silly moment—and who dares to see, in the words of Mark Twain, “the good-natured side of truth”—can break the monotony of scripted activities (Pomerantz & Bell, 2011, p. 158).
Study after study supports this: humor disrupts routine (Friedman & Kuipers, 2013; Garner, 2006). It also builds trust by creating group cohesion and reducing power distance (Tarvin). If you struggle with classroom management, developing a sense of humor can help.
In student evaluations, teachers who effectively use humor are often rated the highest. Nothing has improved my teaching—or my ability to connect with students—more than developing a steady, intentional sense of humor.
The secret to humor in the classroom, however, is not just the teacher’s ability to be funny (though that helps). It’s the teacher’s ability to see the humor in students.
Classrooms are “rife with potentially face-threatening situations” (Petraki & Nguyen, 2016)—in other words, full of moments that can threaten a student’s social standing. Humor, on the other hand, acts as a kind of safe space. It allows students to explore identity and feel comfortable being themselves (Bell & Pomerantz, 2011).
When you notice the funny side of your students—and point it out—you’re doing more than joking. You’re recognizing their individuality.
I’ve learned that even the things that frustrate you can be flipped into humor. The random noises. The small annoyances students repeat on purpose.
I had a student who would interrupt me several times each class by saying the word “bet.” At first, I would stop, stare, and continue teaching. But it kept happening.
One day, right after giving directions, I said “bet” before he could.
The class erupted. The student laughed.
“Okay, Mr.—I see you,” he said.
That moment changed everything. I turned a disruption into a connection.
I even asked the class to teach me how to use “bet” correctly. The funny part? Once a teacher starts using student slang, it instantly becomes uncool.
Now I’m the only one in the room who says it.
Friedman, S., & Kuipers, G. (2013). The divisive power of humor: Comedy, taste and symbolic boundaries. Cultural Sociology, 7(2), 179e195. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1177/1749975513477405.
Garner, R. L. (2006). Humor in pedagogy: How ha-ha can lead to aha! College Teaching, 54, 177e180.
Pomerantz, A., & Bell, N. D. (2011). Humor as safe house in the foreign language classroom. The Modern Language Journal, 95, 148e161. http://dx.doi.org/10. 1111/j.1540-4781.2011.01274.x.
