Humor in the Speech Room

Comedian Victor Borge famously said, “Laughter is the closest distance between two people.” We could not agree more.  We use humor all the time in our speech room as a way of building rapport, defusing tense situations, or as way to teach grammar. According to research humor as a classroom strategy has been around for a long time and helps student's learning in the following ways: 

1. Humor brings people together.

2. Has an overall positive effect on student’s perceptions of their teacher.

3. Humor also can help students retain information.

Source: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/humor-in-the-classroom-40-years-of-research/




Joke of the Week or JOTW:

Students seem to love a joke of the day, not only to get conversation started but some students remember to come to Speech just for the JOTW.

This joke was taken from http://www.enchantedlearning.com/jokes/

Defusing Tough Situations or Learning Grammar:

Using humor to defuse student’s anger or fears can be a helpful tool. Having the ability to laugh at yourself and situations can make you more relatable. It also can be an effective way to recall grammar: