Humor
“My teacher always tells me to follow my dreams. But she won’t let me sleep in class!”
Ba-dum-bump! Whether you’re laughing or groaning, you just had a response tinged by humor.
Humor is our ability to make light of a situation, laugh at ourselves or with someone else, and release a myriad of emotions to help us deal with the situation. Humor is grounding and is a disposition that we can cultivate within ourselves and within our students. Being able to be present in the moment allows us to tap into our humor reserves and build up the resilience we need to laugh off situations that might have really pulled us down in the past. When they say laughter is the best medicine, they’re actually on to something. Science backs up the power of humor (read this amazing article about Norman Cousins here).
Consider exploring these resources for ideas on how to infuse humor into your daily teaching.
Explore Chapter 5 of Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators for more detailed support for this month's disposition of humor. Consider including some of these as the topic of conversation during your weekly mentor/mentee meeting.
Read pages 143-144 for more detailed information on the role humor plays in filling your resilience reserves.
Humor and Laughter as a Resilience Builder
Enjoy this TED Talk about how laughter can help build resilience.
Read the very real story of how one man used his sense of humor to laugh his way back to health.
When You Just Need a "Giggle" Break
You know, sometimes it's a decision between laughing and crying, right? And while there are emotional benefits to both, this month we're focusing on gathering up all of those lemons to make a big ol' pitcher of sweet lemonade! Or lemon meringue pie! Or tart lemon squares! Anyways....Here are some videos you can watch one time........or 27 times if you need a laugh. No judging here!
