During the many years that I have taught, I have tried to keep fun in my instruction. This does not always have to be what you are teaching or even how you teach it. Each day, with each class period, I have one goal that remains constant: I want each of my students to smile or laugh at least once before they leave my classroom. This does not mean that I have to entertain and do a comedy act or be a clown to hold the interest of my students. Students must know that I am in control of my class and that I do want, and enjoy, student involvement. I must be able to steer the ship in the right direction. This takes a little practice to have the students smile or laugh and still maintain a purpose or direction to meet goals and objectives. Inexperienced teachers can lose control of the class when they joke around sometimes. It takes a lot of practice to keep things light and funny, but also be in control of the class.
Some students can take a lot more than others when joking around with the class, and until you can figure this out caution should be used. Once you get to know your students you figure out which ones can laugh at themselves and which ones cannot. Most students like to laugh and have fun, but some like to do it from the sidelines without being directly involved. Each class has its own chemistry which takes effort to figure out. This being said, I still have fun with each of my classes.
I believe that if students are comfortable with me as a teacher and my classroom they will give me more effort in the academic part of class. I want my students to think I am funny, but they must be respectful to me as their teacher and to their classmates. I like to laugh and have a little fun as we do the things that we must do in class and I think my students enjoy the same thing. I think most of my students have fun in my class, but at the same time I think I am a hard teacher with high expectations.
I think you are exactly right. Students need to know that teachers can be funny and light hearted at times. However the loss of control that can follow if not used properly can be devastating to the educational environment. However just as devastating is the lack of fun in a classroom.
ReplyDeleteWhat steven said is right on! I am a pretty fun and easy-going guy. The kids like me because of it. This last year, the kids just couldn't handle my personality. They wanted to get wild every time I cracked a joke or said something funny. I could never get them back under control. So, it kind of was a buzzkiller. I didn't like teaching for the rest of the year because I wasn't allowed to be myself if I wanted to stay sane. Any suggestions for me, besides keeping it serious all of the time?
ReplyDeleteBravo Shaun,
ReplyDeleteTeaching is an art isn't it. Not everyone can do it, regardless of what most Utahns think. Lets face it, most subjects by themselves are actually really quite boring. However, with a great personality leading the classroom, things can be a lot better. This can make learning fun, comfortable, uncomfortable when it needs to be, and down right provocative. It sounds like you are one of those guys. Congratulations.