Humor in the Classroom

After reading an article by Peggy F. Hopper and Sue S. Minchew, I feel I have a new insight on using humor in the classroom. A sense of humor is important to me in all aspects of my life and I have wondered how to incorporate it in my own classroom without losing structure and discipline. In their article titled Techniques for Using Humor and Fun in the Language Arts Classroom, they discuss specific lessons that incorporate humor in language arts lessons. The grade level for these lessons is older than I plan on teaching, but can be adapted for the younger grade levels. The purpose of using humor in teaching is to motivate students and keep their attention. One of my favorite examples from the article is the way they used the anonymous piece called “My Resume” that uses word play. The students have to pick up on the words that are being played on each other, and not only are they learning multiple meaning words, but they are paying attention to the text and learning how to comprehend different forms of writing. As with any subject, if the students have a connection with the material they will understand it better and remember it later. What better way to keep the class' interest than using a sense of humor?