Blog Post #8
“…research is also beginning to show that the presence of laughter and humor and play in our lives baseically takes a nosedive when we reach about the age of 23… “ Is there enough humor, laughter, and play in your classroom? …in your staff room? …at your staff meetings? …at school events? “ If not, how can you bring more? If so, share tips on how to add humor, laughter, and play in your classroom, in your staff room, at staff meetings, and at school events.
Is there enough humor in my classroom? Sadly, after really thinking about it I would have to say there is room for improvement. I may tell a joke or make fun of myself on occasion, but I don't make a conscious effort to try to make them laugh very often. It's probably because I am dealing with high school students and they don't always think that what I am saying or doing is funny. Even though I am not a comedian by adding humor into my classroom I can build connection, lower stress, and increase engagement. I may try adding memes or goofy pictures, or maybe add a joke of the day to try to bring more laughter into my classroom. Our staff does tend to have fun together, whether it is in the hallways before, during or after school or staff meeting especially our end of year get together. Many staff meeting are made better by the laughter that is shared with others after a long day/week of teaching. The type of school event determines how much fun students will have. There are usually brave souls that will dress crazy or act silly during athletic events and many people will get a laugh out of that. Even though there are times when humor is shown, I think there is definitely room for improvement in all areas of the school I teach at. It has to start with the teachers modeling what they would like to see. If I can laugh at my own mistakes or something else I may have messed up on, it communicates to others that they are safe here, and learning doesn’t have to be boring.
ReplyDelete“…research is also beginning to show that the presence of laughter and humor and play in our lives baseically takes a nosedive when we reach about the age of 23… “ Is there enough humor, laughter, and play in your classroom? …in your staff room? …at your staff meetings? …at school events? “ If not, how can you bring more? If so, share tips on how to add humor, laughter, and play in your classroom, in your staff room, at staff meetings, and at school events
ReplyDeleteI work at an alternative school. I have noticed we are a little more goofy and a little different than most staff at school, we have to be really. We joke around, make silly comments and embrace each others differences in our staff meetings. I think it helps make the meetings a little less uncomfortable. In the classroom I try to embrace humor and laughter. I have many students who like to tell jokes, or share funny memes and I let them. It helps build a connection and relationship, as well as gives us all a good chuckle. If i do something funny, I laugh and dont get made that the kids laugh at me. For example, we were watching a winter around the world live cam, where towns have live cams downtown somewhere. A few people were waving at the camera, and I waved right back (like they could see me). A student asked: did you just wave at the promethean board to people who cant see you? We all got a good laugh.
I think humor and laughter is a great thing. Also-laughter is contagious. I think you can get a person to laugh just by laughing. Then you see the checks become rosey, the smile widen-and the smile stays for a period of time after.
This video made me realize the importance of laughter and how I need to incorporate more laughter into my classroom. I may tell a joke occasionally, but I don’t plan laughter into my school day. I tend to be more structured and serious. How does the old saying go – “All work and no play leads to a boring day”. My goal is to find memes and other ways to bring more laughter into my classroom, allowing for more joy. Our staff loves to post funny memes throughout the lounges to bring laughter and joy.
ReplyDeleteWhen I work with my K-2 students I find it easy to be silly, laugh and play. There are always so open to this and are not judgemental. But, when I get to my 3-5 students, it is much harder, especially as they get older. I sometimes feel judged by my 5th graders. I feel they think I'm not "cool" when I act silly and play. I need to get over this. Why do I care if they think I'm not cool for being so silly? If being this way reconnects me with another kid in the classroom, it's worth it. I have a large sense of humor and sometimes I try to hide that from my students and my colleagues. I'm sometimes worried I need to be more strict and straightlaced and professional at school.
ReplyDeleteI try and bring laughter to my classroom, and with some groups of students it does work. There are other groups that I could say are tougher crowd. I do put memes in my power points, which will make some kids laugh, some roll their eyes and others have no response. I also do a saying with my students on Wednesdays--it came from a teacher I student taught under 20+ years ago. My Sophomores look forward to hearing it and actually remind me to say it. It brings a smile/laugh to the classroom if only for a few minutes.
ReplyDeleteI think our office is light-hearted, but our staff meetings could use some laughter. Most of the time our meetings are very straightforward and serious. Every once in awhile a joke may be said, but there are a few that take things very seriously and are almost offended by it.
I love using humor in my classes. Sometimes I do it at a student's expense but only if I know it will make them laugh. I have a lot of funny pictures in my room and I get a lot of questions about them. Several teacher in my hallway have a lot of laughs and even play jokes on kids and each other.
ReplyDeleteI do not think our staff meetings have nearly enough laughter. It is stale and difficult and could really use a makeover. My last principal really started our inservice with laughter and funny videos and after experiencing that, I am realizing how much our new admin needs to do more to make us laugh and have fun.
I have recently been trying to bring dad jokes to my colleagues in the staff room. It is fun to watch them laugh, especially if they are having a hard day. It's hard to bring laughter to a classroom when I am not the teacher but when I work in smaller groups, I try to have fun and laugh with the kiddos. Dressing up and participating in school wide events helps bring some fun to classrooms and among the staff.
ReplyDeleteThere is DEFINITELY enough humor and laughter in my classroom. I must say the topics we talk about in health can be goofy (puberty and what not), but I do try my best to tell my students silly stories about myself (like my first boyfriend in high school.) I do think there is a decent amount of laughter in the workroom, but there could be more. I think I could add to this by printing about funny memes about the life of a teacher and hanging them on the walls in the faculty room. Our staff meetings have a great amount of laughter- thanks to my awesome principal and assistant principal. School events are full of smiles which is great!
ReplyDelete“…research is also beginning to show that the presence of laughter and humor and play in our lives baseically takes a nosedive when we reach about the age of 23… “ Is there enough humor, laughter, and play in your classroom? …in your staff room? …at your staff meetings? …at school events? “ If not, how can you bring more? If so, share tips on how to add humor, laughter, and play in your classroom, in your staff room, at staff meetings, and at school events.
ReplyDeleteThis video was educational and refreshing at the same time. I have always been more of a serious kind of teacher and coach. The speaker brought back past memories when I was younger, working with a bunch of close friends and how we used laughter to lighten the situation. We were more productive, and got more done, with less resources. It was a time I will never forget and established friendships for a lifetime. Why not try to emulate our classrooms on those principles. It is a real life situation, which most of us have walked throughout our career. The next step is to try to create that same experience in the now-life teaching environment.
In my classroom, I use some humor, but more is needed. The video has helped me to recognize and remember how to use humor to create a less stressful situation in my teaching. In the hallways, I try to listen the day for kids with simple funny jokes or goofy humor. I need to do more with this. When I do the kids do respond with happier smiles and attitudes. In the staff room and at staff events our teachers do a good job of lighting the situation. I still need to improve their also. I am a coach, who has coached for 32 years. One of the most important things I have learned over the years is having FUN/giving your best EFFORT=SUCCESS.
This is one of the reasons I enjoyed teaching 6th grade versus the younger grades. I was able to connect with the students and able to say jokes and connections with them. You can appropriately give each other a hard time and have fun with it. Every week I would start Monday and Fridays off with some type of "play" and the kids really enjoyed it. I would do mystery pictures, jokes, memes, Pictionary, etc to just have some fun to start and end the week. I feel like there isn't a whole lot of laughter in our staff room, but a way to change that is start hanging up memes or having small activities even laying on the table so when people pass by or sit to have lunch it can provide a quick sense of laughter for their day. I think the staff meeting depends on what the topic is, usually about a 50/50 if laughter and play are part of it. You could essentially do the same thing as the staff lounge, but could hand out or have these things laying around the areas people are sitting to get some humor and conversations going.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I don't believe there is enough humor & laughter in my classroom. I am typically a type A teacher/person. I like to stick to my schedule, I like structure, I like staying on task & I like when my students don't have a lot of 'down' time. This tends to keep our day moving along. We have fun, but don't experience lots of laughter & humor. I don't spend time in the staff lounge, but when we do seem to get together we always have a great time, sharing stories, laughing & enjoying each other's company. Our staff meetings are pretty serious & short, so we don't experience humor & laughter in those meetings. Our school events do have laughter - I think games, pep rallies etc. are full of fun, humor & laughter. Typically these events are less structured, whereas students can conduct themselves differently. I am honestly not sure how I can increase humor/laughter into my classroom. Would I love to hear my class laugh, of course. I'm just not sure how to achieve this. I do have in my morning meetings and with those there is a joke of the day, so that's how our day starts.
ReplyDeleteI think I do a good job of trying to bring humour into my class, whether that is through showing a funny video, meme, making fun of myself or making fun of a student (not offending anyone). Our business book often uses bizarre names for students in their examples. Half the time I can't pronounce them. Our students get a good laugh at me trying to say them. I bring in my life stories about myself, husband or kids that add humour to our day. I think our staff does a good job of keeping laughter in the teacher's lounge and hallway. Our office staff is always joking around and finding funny things that have happened on the cameras. We have many staff that have tripped, run into things, etc. We could put a bloopers video together at the end of the year. People crack up at themselves when they see it on video. We don't have many staff meetings throughout the year and there isn't much humour involved in them. This is an area that I feel we need to work on. I do a quote of the day in our daily announcements...maybe I need to start putting in a joke of the day!
ReplyDeleteI think laughter and play are present in my classroom daily. It is usually small, unplanned moments. Jokes are shared, we laugh at our silly math mistakes (mine included) or we just have moments of silliness. This all helps students to relax, get more engaged and more willing to take risks. I like to use math games that have crazy rules or weird prizes that make it fun also.
ReplyDeleteOur staff room has a wall with funny quotes. We often share snacks in this room. When my lunch group is in there, we set a rule that we can't talk about students. That has really helped brighten the mood in there.
Our leader does a great job of bringing humor into our meetings. She, herself, has a very funny, sarcastic sense of humor. She plans lighthearted icebreakers or tells funny stories. All of these things energize us instead of draining us.
I am fortunate to have lots of laughter and play in my classroom every day as I teach Preschool. My students learn best through play, so not only do they get free time to pretend, learn to share, work together, and create they also participate in hands on lessons daily
ReplyDeleteMy paraprofessional is also my really good friend and her and I and our students laugh together often. Sometimes it's at me because I am demonstrating what not to do and being extra dramatic. Other times our students share something funny and lastly sometimes we just have to laugh when they are being extra squirrely and talkative.
Our Principal is very down to earth and I love how often we can all laugh together as a staff.
“…research is also beginning to show that the presence of laughter and humor and play in our lives baseically takes a nosedive when we reach about the age of 23… “ Is there enough humor, laughter, and play in your classroom? …in your staff room? …at your staff meetings? …at school events? “ If not, how can you bring more? If so, share tips on how to add humor, laughter, and play in your classroom, in your staff room, at staff meetings, and at school events.
ReplyDeleteI teach first grade. I feel like there is a mix of humor, laughter, and play in my classroom, but I wish there was more at times, especially play. As a teacher, we have a tight schedule on curriculum that we have to teach and it’s difficult to add hands on activities or experiences into lessons because time does not allow. I would say that my students and I are a tight group, we are able to laugh with each other and be humorous.
In our staff room, there is plenty of laughter and humor especially when we are all eating lunch together. We are able to share funny stories that happened today in our classrooms, but also things that we find funny.
In staff meetings, at times, we do have laughter and humor as some of our staff plan ice breakers or fun games that we play. It’s good to laugh when we’re all together as a staff, it helps reset our mood and find the good when we don’t always see it.
My students quickly get engaged at the start of the year once they catch a mistake that either I or a classmate has made on the board. Once they catch a mistake, I respond with, "Man, that was the ONE mistake I (or student name) was allowed for this year. Thank goodness we are nearing the end of December and it can reset in January!" That usually gets some laughs, but those literal students are asking, "For real???" which leads to more laughter from their classmates. After that they are on the lookout for another mistake, which fully engages them. If they happen to catch one, my response is, "(Student name) did that on purpose just to make sure you were paying attention." That student quickly agrees and then the others are left wondering if it was intentional or an actual mistake.
ReplyDeleteI had one student several years ago, who would come in every day with a Joke of the Day. We would start class with her joke, sometimes getting eye rolls, sometimes a great deal of laughter. That girl is now in high school and is my son's girlfriend :)
THIS is something I strive to do! Remember, I'm just a substitute teacher, so I get to stroll in have some FUN and stroll out. In this very moment, I am subbing for H.S math. We smile, we laugh, and we have conversations! This is what I love because I get to know the students and then when I see them at sporting events, school activities, or even at the grocery store, I engage with them. Maybe even just a wave!
ReplyDeleteThis is the same with the other teachers. It's fun for them to see a new face (substitute) in the building and I love to hear how they are doing. Just now I can hear a teacher in the hall "It's a girl!" She just became a grandmother! :) That's why I love subbing and staying connected to the students and staff! They are wonderful!
I am known for being late, lost and laughing! Laughter is a huge part of our day in the classroom and hallway. I am the one you can not sit next to during a staff meeting because I will distract you concerning something funny I just can't keep in my head. I am the one that laughs when I should be paying attention and can't get control of myself in the most frustrating way. I sing random made up songs, stand in awkward poses, or forget random things that my students must help me remember. I'd be the one with the fart machine!
ReplyDeleteI think my classroom is full of laughter, humor, and play, which helps students feel safe, engaged, and connected. Unfortunately, the staff room and staff meetings often feel negative, which can drain energy and morale. To bring more humor and play into these spaces, we could try sharing lighthearted stories or funny classroom moments, starting meetings with a playful icebreaker, or celebrating small successes with jokes, games, or playful challenges. Creating intentional moments for laughter can help staff feel more connected, energized, and positive—just like we do for our students in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteIn the TEDx talk Laughter and Levity: Why You Should Be Smiling More, Dr. Michael Cundall, Jr. explains that laughter, humor, and play are not distractions from serious work but essential human needs that strengthen connection, resilience, and overall well-being. As a librarian, I especially loved the Mark Twain quote about humor because it perfectly captures something I believe but do not always practice: laughter matters. I have to admit that I do not intentionally make enough space for humor in my library, even though I personally find a good laugh incredibly restorative and grounding during busy or stressful school days. Libraries often become places of quiet productivity, but they can also be spaces where joy and playfulness live alongside learning.
ReplyDeleteOne simple way I could intentionally add more humor to my library is by creating a “Bad Joke of the Week” board. In the past, I hosted a very popular display featuring inspirational and affirmative quotes on sticky notes, inviting students to “take what they need” each day. I could easily adapt that idea into a humor-centered display — filling it with dad jokes or delightfully corny one-liners that students can take with them when they need a smile or a moment of lightness. Small invitations like this signal that laughter belongs here too. As Cundall suggests, smiling and laughter are contagious social signals; when educators model humor and play, we give students and colleagues permission to experience school not only as a place of responsibility and expectations, but also as a place of belonging, connection, and shared joy.
“…research is also beginning to show that the presence of laughter and humor and play in our lives basically takes a nosedive when we reach about the age of 23… “ Is there enough humor, laughter, and play in your classroom? …in your staff room? …at your staff meetings? …at school events? “ If not, how can you bring more? If so, share tips on how to add humor, laughter, and play in your classroom, in your staff room, at staff meetings, and at school events. My coworkers love to have fun. We often send each other memes that add humor about our day or modern politics. We love each other and can make each other laugh.
ReplyDeleteIn my classroom, I make every effort to lighten the mood with laughter. In Human Geo we have added "Is It Funny?" that looks at 3 different interesting maps that might just add a little humor to start classes on Wednesday. In my slide shows I also do everything I can to keep things light. I add dad jokes from time to time. I do understand that people will remember more if they are engaged and humor is a great way to engage students. I don't mind making myself the butt of he jokes either. I'm okay with laughing at my own expense. With staff meetings, I'm not afraid to add a quip to what we are talking about and thankfully others will do the same thing. It's much friendlier and easier to go to when we are having fun.
I would like to begin by saying that I feel that there is plenty of humor in my classroom. My Junior Kindergarten students laugh often. I try to be silly and make them laugh. We also laugh a lot during our silly songs, movement breaks, and sometimes we use silly voices while counting.
ReplyDeleteLaughter and humor seem to be a little harder with adults, but I feel like the people that I work with understand that we need it. My school district and fellow teachers have done several things that help promote laughter.
I feel adding a little humor to a day, truly makes a positive difference for almost everyone. I will list some examples below.
• Our principal and janitor dress like Santa and an Elf, before break.
• We play name that tune, on Fridays for teachers.
• Having a Marshmallow Madness Competition for staff (Yes, you get to throw marshmallows at other teachers and staff.)
• We have dress-up days for staff.
• Inflatable race for staff
• Harmless little pranks, (like telling the principal there is a mouse under this bucket, but it is just a computer mouse.)
• Hiding tiny little frogs all over someone’s classroom.
• Games during a staff meeting.
“…research is also beginning to show that the presence of laughter and humor and play in our lives baseically takes a nosedive when we reach about the age of 23… “ Is there enough humor, laughter, and play in your classroom? …in your staff room? …at your staff meetings? …at school events? “ If not, how can you bring more? If so, share tips on how to add humor, laughter, and play in your classroom, in your staff room, at staff meetings, and at school events.
ReplyDeleteClassroom: Yes! Honestly, I absolutely love my job! Teaching elementary PE is full of fun, laughter, and play. While there are moments where it's not always great, 90% of the time PE is just fun. The kids really make me laugh and I feel like they have a good time. I am so thankful that I was given this opportunity to be their PE teacher and make it a fun experience for them.
Staff room: Yes! We have a great bunch of teachers. We also have a rule in place that we don't discuss kids in a negative way in the staff room. For the most part, our discussions are of our lives outside of teaching.
Staff meetings: Our staff meetings usually start with a discussion or a game to kind of 'break the ice', or to allow us to talk and catch up with each other before our meeting starts. This is all before we get down to business. I think this makes the meetings more enjoyable.
School events: The school events that the elementary has are really fun. Actually, this coming Monday we have a literacy night where students get to play games, eat pizza, and take home a free book.
Overall, I think my school strives to make our building fun, welcoming, and positive!
Kids make me laugh everyday. It amazes me how kids do silly things that they don’t think are funny but they are. I can laugh at myself so I think that helps kids relax around me and when they say funny things, we can laugh and have fun with each other.
ReplyDeleteOur staff is so funny and we get emails from staff telling a joke or story of what a kid did in their class that was funny. If your not having fun doing what you do, do something else.
I do try to bring some humor into my classroom. This is difficult, because sadly, I am not a very funny guy. For many years I have started off every class with a joke of the day. It is usually just a corny dad joke or laffy taffy joke. As silly as it sounds, it has caught on and students look forward to the joke. I will often run into former students who will remember the jokes and even ask me to tell a joke. I wouldn't say my classroom is a barrel of laughs, but the joke of the day lightens the mood and helps build my relationship with students.
ReplyDeleteI think I do a good job bringing humor and laughter in my classroom. Some days we have more laughs than others. I think it’s important to let kids laugh and enjoy school more. I wish I could add some more play time. Since I teach 4th grade, it’s hard to find time in the day for that. I try to give the kids some free time on Friday afternoons to wind down and play games or do STEM projects or art.
ReplyDeleteI think our staff finds humor in our day to day conversations. Not many staff members each lunch in the breakroom, but the ones that do have some funny conversations. Even throughout the day in the halls we can find humor. Our staff meetings could use some more laughs. We don’t have a ton of elementary school events, but we did have a Bingo night this year and that was a blast!
…research is also beginning to show that the presence of laughter and humor and play in our lives basically takes a nosedive when we reach about the age of 23… “ Is there enough humor, laughter, and play in your classroom? …in your staff room? …at your staff meetings? …at school events? “ If not, how can you bring more? If so, share tips on how to add humor, laughter, and play in your classroom, in your staff room, at staff meetings, and at school events.
ReplyDeleteYes, there is definitely enough laughter and play in my classroom. I am a PE teacher and my gym is so much fun! We are always moving, smiling, laughing, and having the best time! I love my students and the stories they share with me. They fill my bucket! I like to wear shirts that say things or are related to our activities and the students always get a kick out of reading my shirt right away. Our staff room is a fun place where we decompress and share silly stories and talk about fun things we have been up to in and out of school. Staff meetings are great as my principal always has some sort of game or drawing for prizes and keeps the excitement level up! We will be getting a new principal next year and we are all really hoping that she brings the same level of fun to our meetings. She has high expectations and yet knows how to have fun. It's great! We also do a decade disco night and a family bingo night which are lots of fun and laughing with the families at our school. I feel blessed to be a part of a school (we truly are family there) that is such a positive environment.
I think there needs to be more playful activities or games throughout in the school day. Our school social committee has done a nice job this year of finding activities that can be done during contract hours but before or after student contact that allows those willing to participate to find enjoyment during their workday. In my classroom, after providing instruction on an activity, I ask my students “any questions, comments, concerns, or jokes?” the students wait for that opportunity and often have a joke ready to share each class. We need to not take everything so seriously, to take a step back and really reflect on how big of an outcome each moment will have in the grand scheme of life.
ReplyDeleteIn my classroom, I try to keep things from getting too stiff. Math can be pretty intimidating for a lot of students, so if I can use a bit of humor, even just by laughing at my own mistakes on the board, it lowers the tension. I think there is enough play in the room when we do hands-on projects, but I could definitely do better about letting the silly moments happen naturally instead of being so focused on the next equation.
ReplyDelete“…research is also beginning to show that the presence of laughter and humor and play in our lives basically takes a nosedive when we reach about the age of 23… “ Is there enough humor, laughter, and play in your classroom? …in your staff room? …at your staff meetings? …at school events? “ If not, how can you bring more? If so, share tips on how to add humor, laughter, and play in your classroom, in your staff room, at staff meetings, and at school events.
ReplyDeleteIn my classroom there is plenty of humor, laughter, and play. My room and students love to joke around and be silly in appropriate ways, as well as play. We have 'Fun Fridays' in my classroom and the kids love it. In other classrooms, they lack these 3 things. The biggest thing is play, especially in Kindergarten. These days they are held so high of standards compared to when I was in school. The only play time they have is about 20 minutes of free play a day, so the rest of the day is sitting and learning and listening. In the staff room, more specially in the lounge, all there is is negativity and complaining. That is all they do I feel like, so a couple years ago I made the change to eat in my room with a few other coworkers. Trust me...I still hear it when I go to heat up my lunch. Our teachers also try to get together once a month for 'coffee', but even then school still happens to get brought up. We hardly ever have staff meetings, but when there is one it is usually for important topics such as report cards, scheduling conferences, and evacuation drills for emergency events. What is off tho, is that my school out of the other 2 I feel like has the most grumpy teachers, who feel like fun haters whenever something 'fun' comes around for our school to do. When it comes to school events, I feel like our school is involved and wanting or encouraging our students to participate or attend.
The one thing that I would like our school to work on is having more humor, laughter, and play in our staff rooms. I would love to get away from all the negativity and start bringing in some positivity. One thing that I could try and help is whenever I go up to the lounge to heat up my food, would be to start a convo about something random or try and change the subject somehow when complaining is happening. Another thing I could try and do is incorporate some kind of staff involvement game or activity that doesn't take up too much of their free time to start making our school more enjoyable for everyone. Even an example I have read, is getting everyones favorites whether that is coffee or snacks, and bringing them here and there like once a month for my coworkers to try and lighten up their day.
In my own classroom, I don’t think this is something I struggle with, though I’m sure there are times I’m not as funny as I think I am and need to find more creative ways to bring that humor out of the students rather than relying on myself alone. However, naturally I am a pretty playful person, and I lean into sarcasm and a silly rapport with students in a way that feels authentic to me. Especially as a history teacher, I feel like you have to bring life, humor, and even a bit of comedy into some of the stories you are teaching. It helps lighten the mood, but more importantly, it pulls students into content that can otherwise feel dry or distant. That sense of play makes the learning experience more engaging and memorable.
ReplyDeleteIn the staff room, the tone is a little different. I find there is often more space for teachers to vent, decompress, and have honest adult conversations, which makes sense given that we spend most of the day surrounded by kids. That said, negativity can sometimes show its face when conversations lean heavily into classroom struggles or student and parent challenges. While that release is important, I do think there is less intentional humor and lightness than there could be. It often feels more like processing than playing. The same can be said for staff meetings. They tend to be structured and focused on logistics, which naturally limits opportunities for laughter or play. Humor shows up occasionally, but it is not always something that is built into the culture of those meetings in a consistent way.
At school events, I notice another dynamic. Because so many parents and community members are present, there can be a pressure for teachers to maintain a polished or “perfect” image. That can make it harder to relax, be playful, or show personality without worrying about judgment. Even though we are part of the same community, that audience can unintentionally create distance.
To bring more humor and play into these spaces, it really comes down to being intentional about it. In class, letting students drive more of that energy helps a lot. In staff settings, even small things like starting with a light moment or sharing something funny from the day can shift the tone. At school events, I think one big piece is building stronger relationships with parents and community members so things don’t feel so defensive or performative. When those relationships are solid, teachers can be more themselves, and parents and community members feel more at ease too.
I am currently at home and not actively teaching. I will say that I know that i am a more serious person than I used to be. I will also say that I think I focused more on fun and excitement in the classroom than at home. I just made the comment today to a family member that my kids are full of laughter and can belly laugh at the drop of a hat and that I remember being that way at their age so why the change once you become an adult? This TED talk was extremely fitting and timely today. I think that doing spontaneous things of fun, like dancing in the house with my kids, which I do, is one of their favorite things even though they act like it is not. I love to laugh and know that it also lightens the atmosphere so doing fun things like that have been in the forefront of my mind. I do have to say that my husband seems to bring all the fun and excitement, he is always coming up fun activities such as various races or when reading aloud to our kids they have to hop every time a certain word is said which my kids absolutely love or they have to do a movement to a song that is playing when doing physical activities. I enjoy all of these fun activities too and these activities seem to have our kids who range from freshman to first grade all requesting to do them!
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is a mixture of this. Our team meetings are filled with humor as often as we can, but whole group meetings are more serious. We have a “fun club” that organizes monthly activities that get staff engaged, laughing and smiling. I laugh as often and as much as I can in the classroom. The hardest part about this is being able to let go and have some fun, while still making sure you attend to the curriculum. I like to make jokes or laugh at myself, but the time I find easiest to add laughter is when I have time for board games/games. Teaching math can be a harder concept and a more serious topic for young kids. Sometimes, I let us just take a breath, talk and hold space. I don’t get in as many games as I wish I could, but I believe children should see adults laughing in a healthy way as often as possible. The hardest part is getting the young ones back on task after a laughing/funny conversation. There is definitely room for improvement. We often forget how good laughing is for the soul.
ReplyDeleteKelsey Berletic
ReplyDeleteCreating space for humor and play can make a big difference in school culture, especially during stressful times. One thing I’ve seen work really well is incorporating light humor into team meetings. For example, some teachers will drop funny memes into the group chat during meetings to break tension and keep things from feeling too heavy. It’s a small gesture, but it helps people relax and stay engaged.
Another simple idea is building in small moments of celebration or connection. After state testing, our team has taken turns bringing in coffee in the morning. It gives everyone something to look forward to and creates a more positive, supportive atmosphere after a high-stress period.
I think the key is being intentional about creating these moments. Whether it’s humor, shared routines, or small treats, these little actions can go a long way in boosting morale and reminding staff that it’s okay to enjoy the work environment, even during challenging times.
In the classroom, I can bring more humor and play by not taking myself too seriously. Something as simple as laughing with students can help build stronger relationships and make the classroom feel safe and enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteIn the staff room, humor can come from small, everyday interactions. Bringing a positive attitude and being willing to laugh can make a big difference in the overall environment. At staff meetings, celebrating small wins or starting with something light hearted can reduce stress and make meetings feel less overwhelming.
At school events, creating opportunities for fun, like games or friendly competitions can encourage both staff and students to engage and connect in a different way.
Overall, bringing more humor, laughter, and play into school is about being intentional and recognizing that these moments are not distractions from learning, but actually supporting connections, engagement, and the well-being of your learners.
…research is also beginning to show that the presence of laughter and humor and play in our lives basically takes a nosedive when we reach about the age of 23… “ Is there enough humor, laughter, and play in your classroom? …in your staff room? …at your staff meetings? …at school events? “ If not, how can you bring more? If so, share tips on how to add humor, laughter, and play in your classroom, in your staff room, at staff meetings, and at school events.
ReplyDeleteIn the classroom I could bring more humor to our room everyday. I feel the older I get the more serious I have become. I believe in having positive relationships with my students. Teaching at the the colony and having my students for multiple years I have formed closer bonds with each of my students and their families.
With our staff meetings we have monthly in-services on the first Friday. At these meetings we discuss and work on the things that we need to each year with our district. Another thing we we have started this year is celebrating and recognizing our staff members.
We are also doing class shout outs that go on our school Facebook page as well as newspaper articles. I feel this is a positive way to bridge the school and our families.
“…research is also beginning to show that the presence of laughter and humor and play in our lives baseically takes a nosedive when we reach about the age of 23… “ Is there enough humor, laughter, and play in your classroom? …in your staff room? …at your staff meetings? …at school events? “ If not, how can you bring more? If so, share tips on how to add humor, laughter, and play in your classroom, in your staff room, at staff meetings, and at school events.
ReplyDeleteI can say with confidence that we have tons of humor and laughter in my Second Grade classroom. I think learning is boring for kids if there isn't humor. I tend to be an actress for my kids. The more silly the better.
As for humor being in our workplace and staff meeting area, the answer is absolutley no. It is so unfortumate to me. Our school tends to be a place of " This is how we have always done it." It bothers me so very much.
I like to think that I bring a lot of humor and laughter into my early childhood classroom! Of course we play all the time, so that is definitely not lacking! I do find that at times, I catch myself trying to tamp down the humor because it tends to escalate the energy in the room. Of course this can be a good thing, but when it gets too high, it can get very overstimulating for myself and some of my students. I find that it can be hard to find a balance of playfulness and humor but also keeping my authority. One thing that always brings the laughs is turning whatever we're doing into a chant or song that the kids can easily pick up on. In regards to our staff gatherings, I think we do a good job of keeping things light and fun. We all have good senses of humor and have worked together for a long time, so we really just understand each other's personalities and humor.
ReplyDeleteMy husband is so good at this. It should be contagious. He always tells me I am funny, but I really am not funny in front of others. Even as a child/teen I was so serious. I am an only child and my parents are not playful. I love funny people and those who play. I know that kids learn better when humor is present.
ReplyDeleteI think letting kids take the lead is helpful for me. Most kids are naturally playful. I think finding those callbacks to when my tooth fell out in class as the teacher, finding funny literature like Nanny Piggins, gross nonfiction stories about dungbettles. I like adding the memes. I like finding creative ways to say thing like, “I don’t typically get vowels.”
As I was reflecting on the school year, I thought of how great of colleagues I have. My colleagues and I work hard, but we also make time to laugh and have fun together each day. When students see their teachers happy and enjoying what they do, it creates a positive atmosphere and helps put the students in a better mood, too. A school filled with smiles and laughter helps everyone feel more comfortable, connected, and excited to learn and be at school.
ReplyDeleteI love to laugh and have fun. Some days/years we have more laughter than others. As a staff, we try to joke and have fun with each other. Again, some years we do better than other years with this. Staff morale can hit such lows. The coworkers I’m more connected to, we obviously find more ways to laugh and enjoy the day together. I do feel that as a staff we sometimes feel very divided and then it gets harder to laugh and have fun together and I hope we can find ways to get back together. In my classroom, we try to embrace the fun and laughter… since we’re at the top of the elementary, we have to keep that balance as they can sometimes take that fun and laughter too far. I do try to keep the day fun-filled, but I know that isn’t always the case. Happy hearts foster more learning and an environment that is more fulfilling.
ReplyDelete“…research is also beginning to show that the presence of laughter and humor and play in our lives baseically takes a nosedive when we reach about the age of 23… “ Is there enough humor, laughter, and play in your classroom? …in your staff room? …at your staff meetings? …at school events? “ If not, how can you bring more? If so, share tips on how to add humor, laughter, and play in your classroom, in your staff room, at staff meetings, and at school events.
ReplyDeleteMy classroom definitely has enough laughter, humor, and play! I bring a lot of it but my students also supply it, especially when it's needed! We don't have a staff room but our staff meetings are definitely a place where fun, laughter, and play is had - by all staff which makes our meetings more enjoyable. We don't have school events due to teaching at a residential treatment center.
“…research is also beginning to show that the presence of laughter and humor and play in our lives basically takes a nosedive when we reach about the age of 23… “ Is there enough humor, laughter, and play in your classroom? …in your staff room? …at your staff meetings? …at school events? “ If not, how can you bring more? If so, share tips on how to add humor, laughter, and play in your classroom, in your staff room, at staff meetings, and at school events.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is enough humor, laughter, or play in my classroom. I do try to be funny from time to time but my students rarely think I am that funny. It could be because my humor tends to be pretty dry. I don't spend much time in the staff room, as I tend to work through my lunches so I am not sure how much humor or laughter occurs in that space. However, out staff is really good at participating in dress up days along with the students...especially the anything but a cup day. In addition, staff participates in fun days, such as pep rallies and random competitions throughout the year. I would also say there is a fair amount humor and laughter at staff meetings too. Our administration is pretty upbeat and adds elements of humor all the time.
More humor could be added by building in small moments of fun, such as games or other lighthearted activities connected to the lesson. I could also try to incorporate humor that is not so dry by showing my personality more without worrying about what the kids will think, especially since I work with middle and high school students.
This is a topic that is great! On my desk is a coffee cup that says "Ask Me About My Dad Jokes". During some point in my classes I'm throwing out a joke or funny story. In my tests or quizzes, I usually ask a trivia questions about my favorite teams or a random joke. It keeps my students on their toes! Also I'm a girl dad of three daughters and I love to keep them on their toes also with jokes and laughter. I think they have taken after me - also crackin' funny jokes. Also I might be a little bit of a prankster - parking in the Superintendent's parking spot, moving or "borrowing' people's coffee cups, etc. etc.!! The staff never knows what I'm going to pull next. I also have a couple of co-workers that may have a hand in some of my pranks or they are one of the pranksters! Gotta make life fun with humor and laughter!
ReplyDeleteLaughter, humor, and play are missing most days in teaching. I think they are present in the beginning months of the school year, but then dwindle with the stress and “to-dos” of everyday teaching. The behaviors, the meetings, the collaborations, the IEP meetings, the special needs, the tests, quizzes, and assignments, and the pressure we put on ourselves to be the best and see results in our students create a heavy cloud that looms over everyone.
ReplyDeleteI think that by having open communication with administrators and realizing that the pressure we put on ourselves is good, but can sometimes get in the way of happiness and the joy of teaching, we can learn to let some of it go. We need to rediscover the joy and passion we felt when we first decided to become teachers. We love kids, so let’s enjoy them and not let the adults get in the way. Let kids be kids, and let teachers teach.
I feel like humor is something I do well in my classroom. I do it when I’m in a good mood. What I really need to do is start adding it when we’re in high stress times and when I’m in a bad mood. These are the times when my students need humor more than just me being weird and wearing large listening ears! One of the things I do is wear a traffic cone hat when I do crossing guard. It makes the students and parents laugh and a normally stressful job becomes fun. On a windy day parents and students always ask where my hat is. They pay better attention to cross walks and the traffic flow. This is all done with fun instead of me yelling to make sure they go on crosswalks and stop when traffic is coming.
ReplyDeleteI feel like our school has done a pretty good job with adding humor and fun into the classroom. I’ve noticed a huge difference in morale the last few years. We now do TikTok videos, fun little songs to let parents know that we have a lot of things in our Lost and Found. These are all things that have made a huge difference in our school environment. I think some things that we could add into it is making sure that we are adding humor even when we need to have serious conversations. I think it’s a great idea to add some funny memes or funny videos to get people loosened up so that we can really talk about important things. Humor also is a great way of helping brains connect with something that we want kids to remember next year; I’m going to use the example of memes to open up any of my harder lessons so that kids jump in right away so maybe I’ll start with a meme and in with a meme.
When I think about my favorite teachers, they are all ones who made you smile and laugh. It was enjoyable to be in their classrooms. I do my best to make this a part of my classroom culture as well. I do this because I think it has so many positive effects on student behavior and positive effects on their attitudes about learning. Usually, humor just happens in my room. I rarely plan for it. It comes about through off topic discussions (which happen a lot), and through students sharing things about their lives and experiences. Also, I often supplement my history lessons with unusual and humorous facts about particular events and individuals. In doing this, I hope to help students feel more relaxed and engaged, and to make connections with the content we are covering. I also think using humor allows students to see teachers as more relatable.
ReplyDeleteI can positively say that humor and laughter are staples in my day-to-day life as a teacher. I love to laugh and to make people laugh. Not in a rude or out-of-control way, but I genuinely enjoy bringing joy to others. Joking around not only makes people feel good and gets their endorphins flowing, but it is also a great icebreaker.
ReplyDeleteThe staff workroom during lunch is a great place for this. Laughing and enjoying my coworkers' company helps break up the day and motivates all of us for the afternoon. Putting PG- or PG-13-ish memes in the staff bathroom gives us a chance to laugh at random times throughout the day. One of my favorite things to do is send a text, email, joke, or meme to someone when I know they are having a rough day. It often helps turn their mood around.
In my classroom, we laugh and play a lot. For example, when a marker dies, we hold a mini funeral for it. If I can't get something electronic to work, we say a prayer for it. I often make mistakes on the board during math or phonics lessons, and my students laugh when I confidently announce that I know I have the answer right. Other times, it's simply me being goofy (sometimes unintentionally).
We play a variety of educational games, but we also play games like “I Am Going on a Trip and I Am Bringing...,” where students have to figure out the connection. We also play games such as Quiet as a Mouse in the Hallway and Guess My Number. These moments of humor and playfulness help create a positive classroom environment where students feel comfortable, engaged, and excited to learn.
Thank you for sharing Katie! You have great ideas to incorporate laughter and humor in the classroom. I am totally having a funeral for the next marker that dies!
DeleteI have to admit that this is a very true statement for me (I am not sure about others), but it seems that when we finish college, we are supposed to suddenly get serious about our jobs and serious about life. I was so wrong and have brought back humor into life, relationships, and work itself. This has definitely improved everything! I work at a school where our leader (principal) believes in memes and humor, so when something is serious, you know it. We have a lot of fun in the halls and joking with colleagues as well as with students. We also do different things throughout the year to keep up staff morale and relationships within the building. It is important for them to see adults using humor as, maybe their parents like I was, are serious about life when they get home.
ReplyDeleteI feel that as educators who want to have fun with our students, we are judged by administrators and parents. I always tried to make the kids enjoy being in my classroom because it is hard to sit for 8 hours a day in high school and be expected to always be serious. As a math teacher, I loved to find videos done by someone who tried to explain the lesson we were learning with song and dance. The kids thought it was "not cool" sometimes but one of the favorites was the PI day conga line that we would do.
ReplyDeleteAs a staff, we started a binder where each staff member filled out a sheet with their favorite things and then we drew names each semester and were encouraged to give our "person" a treat that would brighten their day if they were feeling down. We also did a bracket for basketball, a survivor game we did, and had nights where we would meet at the local bar to relax and have fun together. We did a "boo" basket at halloween and had a staff Christmas party where we would do a secret santa reveal. We tried to make everyone have a good year by being supportive when someone was needed.
Sadly, I don’t think there is enough laughter in the school setting. We have moved away from laughter and positivity and moved to worrying about test scores. I try and bring laughter and joy into my classroom by singing songs, acting silly and making learning fun with movement. I try to incorporate play into everyday even if it’s a hide and seek letter find, but every Thursday they have play centers.
ReplyDeleteI don’t believe there is enough joy and laughter in our staff room or in staff meetings. By the time, the staff meeting is (afterschool), everyone is ready to go home and isn’t in the mood. Usually the meeting consists of updates on events or important data. They have tried to incorporate laughter or games into the meeting but there are only a few that like to do those kind of activities. The one thing that we start each meeting with is a positive that happened during the week to help sent the “tone” for the meeting.
I agree that test scores have become such a high priority in the last couple of years. I am not sure why they are so important as many colleges aren't even looking at them anymore and scholarships are based more on the student's responses to essay questions.
DeleteI love the positive thing at staff meetings. There really needs to be more staff building moral in school settings.
Is there enough humor, laughter, and play in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteWhile I feel like there is already a good amount of humor and laughter in my classroom, I would always love to see more. Reflecting on this past year—which was my first year teaching first grade, and I was also pregnant—there were definitely days that felt a bit "too serious" for six- and seven-year-olds. When it comes to actual play, there simply isn't enough of it in first grade anymore. It honestly makes me sad. My teaching partner and I try to incorporate it as much as we can, even through simple art projects or activities that offer freedom of choice. I was shocked to discover that most of my students had never used watercolors before we did a project around Easter time!
…in your staff room?
I truly love my coworkers and enjoy spending time with them. While we do share plenty of laughter, the staff lounge can easily become a high-stress zone. During lunchtime, we always have ten million things on our to-do lists, and it is hard to fully relax when you are watching the clock and thinking about how little prep time you have left. On the bright side, my coworkers are always looking for reasons to get together outside of the school day. That extra time together outside of work really helps us connect and show up for each other in meaningful ways.
…at your staff meetings?
Our school doesn’t have very many staff meetings, and the ones we do have are strictly geared around data, testing, and emergency management. Because of that, there really isn't any room for laughter, humor, or play—we are just focused on getting through the information quickly. However, I think we could really benefit from opening up with a quick, classic icebreaker to spark some fun conversation. It is always a tough balancing act between respecting people's limited time and trying to cultivate joy, but a little bit of connection can go a long way.
…at school events?
When I think of school events, I usually think of things outside the normal school day, but in this case, I immediately think of our monthly all-school assemblies. Our counselor runs them and does a fantastic job of incorporating fun and laughter. She creates silly games that tie directly into whatever character trait she is highlighting, and the kids absolutely love it.
The reality of education today is that we are heavily driven by data and standardized tests, which makes it tricky to prioritize humor, laughter, and play. It can also be challenging to navigate because everyone on staff is walking through a different season of life—whether that is personal joy, stress, or heavy grief—and what feels joyful to one person might not feel that way to another. Ultimately, I believe you can only control your own actions. As a teacher, coworker, and staff member, I want to focus on doing my part to bring that light and playfulness into our school community wherever I can.