Using Humour in the Classroom – tips and students' perspectives
by John Hellner, author of Using Humour in the Classroom and other great books. 

At the moment I’m living in Singapore where I’m teaching at an international school. I find that humour works everywhere, with slight variations, but 'slapstick' and visual humour rarely miss – they just need to be culture sensitive.

Here's what some of my 12th grade students say about humour in the classroom:

• “...we can relax and have fun.” (Uttara and Sneha) 
• “We retain information as we associate it with something funny in class.” (Sanjanaa and Mangala)
• “Shows that teachers are also human beings”' (anon)

I have a great poster in my room now that says:

When you dance with the crocodile, you have to be prepared for when the music stops.

I point to it when a student goes off task, doesn't do homework, arrives late – low level behaviour management; and once I even used it for my 'toughen up and manage your time better' lecture. I don't really know what it means, but it seems to work for all occasions, (like the horrible pink medicine my mother used to give me).

Once I point to the poster, the student appears to engage their brain trying to decipher the poster's meaning in relation to their actions. They arrive at some conclusion that makes sense to them. By the time they’ve figured out a meaning the class has moved on and mutual affection is restored.

Let me leave the last word to Malavika: 

“Humour is the one thing that transcends across personalities, across interest, across disciplines. A funny class and a funny teacher is one that you'll talk about for years to come, and that's probably a big reason why we even manage to remember what was taught."

John Hellner, a self-confessed "humorologist", taught or worked as a teacher-educator in New Zealand secondary schools from 1975 to 2009. A former head of history at Auckland Grammar and deputy principal at Orewa College, he delivered the University of Waikato Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Secondary) at Tauranga. He is currently working at Overseas Family School in Singapore. John has published articles on education, and he believes humour is vital in a teacher-student relationship, which enhances learning.

Free Lesson Plan

Recognising multiplication facts: Multiplication Beans

‘Multiplication Beans’ is a game from No Nonsense Games (Bk 1 Stage 6) by author-teachers Suzi de Gouveia, Jackie Andrews and Jude Callaghan. Aimed at students aged 9–11 years, it is designed to reinforce children’s knowledge of multiplication families of facts. 

To download your free lesson plan in Australia, click here or in New Zealand click here.

Congratulations to the winners of our 

Nicola Wellington
Brian Quinn
Amy Ockleford
Dawn Duncum
Tanya Harvey

Please contact us with your details and we'll get your  

chocolate goodies out to you as soon as possible.

Thanks to everyone who entered, we hope you all have a chocolate-filled Easter break!

As book lovers, we think holidays are best spent with a pile of good books so we've rounded up our recommended reads ...

Nicola is reading The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood, published by W. W. Norton and Call the Midwife: A True Story of the East End in the 1950s by Jennifer Worth, published by Phoenix.
Nicola says, "The Knitting Circle is a wonderful read, whilst heartwarming and uplifting it was hard not to cry. Highly recommended. Call the Midwife was a thoroughly enjoyable read, I didn't want the book to finish. It mixes brutality and tragedy, amazing kindness and understanding, tempered by a great deal of Cockney humour." 

Geraldine is reading The Snowman by Jo Nesbo, published by Vintage.
Geraldine says, "I recently went to the opening of Jo Nesbo's film, Headhunters, in Christchurch. The Norwegian writer was in town promoting this and his latest novel The Leopard. He was meant to be at the opening and answer a few questions, but at the last minute he was unable to attend. Never mind … the film was worth the trip – classy, full-on entertaining with a cheeky twist at the end.
I love Jo Nesbo's books and have just finished award winning novel, The Snowman. The slightly flawed series character, Detective Harry Hole, unwittingly delves into a case that will take him to the the edge of darkness. I love the landscape and characters in Jo Nesbo's books. Totally gripping, a brilliant thriller, I could not put it down and can't wait to read his next book." 

Diane is reading An Idiot Abroad by Karl Pilkington, published by Canongate Books.
Diane says, "This book is truly laugh-out-loud funny. This is the travel diary for anyone who hates to leave home. Karl Pilkington travels to the world's Seven Wonders but he finds it difficult to see what is so wonderful about them." 


Jenna is reading The Prince of Soul and the Lighthouse by Fredrik Brounéus, published by Steam Press.
Jenna says, "After reading best sellers and literary fiction all summer, I decided to dip into a genre that I haven’t touched since my early teens – speculative fiction. Keen to support New Zealand fiction, I chose the first title published by Steam Press, a new NZ publisher solely dedicated to this genre. The Prince of Soul and the Lighthouse is a comic sci-fi novel, set in Otago and Southland. It follows George Larson, a hormonal Dunedin teenager on his quest to save the world. Almost everyone seems to think he’s the one to fix the lighthouse that guides human souls down the path of rebirth. This unlikely hero is not alone. He’s accompanied by an unusual mix of characters: his zombie granddad, a Tibetan special-mission monk, and a beautiful yet evil Finnish exchange student. This novel is highly readable, well written and witty. I am pleased that along with the fantasy and humour, the author thoughtfully explores deeper questions about love and being a teenager, and most of all, the question of what happens when we die. Although this book will appeal especially to teenage boys, I highly recommend it to readers of all ages; I, for one, am laughing my way through this quirky, refreshing take on reincarnation." 

Paula K is reading Escape by Carolyn Jessop, published by Broadway.
Paula says, "Escape is a chilling memoir about Carolyn, a remarkable and determined woman who freed herself and her eight children from a world where women are totally and utterly controlled. This book will have you on the edge of your seat, I couldn't put it down." 


Andrea is reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, published by Scholastic Press.
Andrea says, "After being pressured by my children, I started reading The Hunger Games and I'm glad I did. It is a tale of perseverance and the will to survive. At times it was quite brutal and violent but the characters manage to keep their humanity. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy, if I can wrestle them away from the kids, that is." 


Jo is reading We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver, published by Harper Perennial. 
Jo says, "This is one of those books where the subject matter is so dark and disturbing that it makes you desperately want to put it down, but the longer I stayed with it, the more fascinated I became. The main character, Eva, is mother to Kevin – a boy responsible for a high-school massacre. The insights of Eva, regarding family, love, and betrayal create a story that is touching, sad, funny and reflective." 

Paula W is reading The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon's Last Uncontacted Tribes by Scott Wallace, published by Crown Publishers.  
Paula says, "This book is a fascinating mixture of adventure, character study, history, anthropology and ecology. Wallace chronicles weeks of exhausting slog through thick rainforest, of living off the land, of frequent bouts of illness and constant fear of attack by animals and flecheiros. He brings the forest in all its danger and beauty to life, and shows how living within it affects the men in the expedition and their relationships with one another. While reading it, I have spent time on Google reading up more about the Amazon and its uncontacted tribes. A good book is one you’d like to read again. An excellent book is one that prompts you to learn more. Such is The Unconquered.


What books have you been enjoying lately? We're always looking for good recommendations.

 

Quote of the Week

Feel free to right click and save this weekly quote as your desktop (above) or
iphone wallpaper (below). Or you could print and hang it as a personal reminder!

From www.sethgodin.com (Watch the video here.)
Today's quote is thanks to justadandak.com.

This is the latest update of our diary for educators. It looks forward to conferences, events and competitions during the next couple of months. They’ve been selected with New Zealand and Australian teachers in mind, but it’s not an exhaustive list, so if you know of something that’s on, please tell us about it. For events further out – date-wise and others' well beyond our shores, a comprehensive listing is available here. 

April
Children's International Book Day
Monday 2 April

Schools Moodle Moot 2012
The purpose of SMC2011 is to provide the attendees with the opportunity to learn from key individuals within the education sector who already fully utilise the LMS, to ignite enthusiasm and realise Moodle’s potential as a tool for online learning and engagement.
Thursday 12 – Saturday 14 April
Brisbane, Australia

Earth Day
Sunday 22 April

ANZAC Day
Wednesday 25 April
Australia and New Zealand

ThinkQuest Competition 2012
‘Think with us and you’ll be ready’.
Develop a website (open only to schools that are members)
Produce an online journal/blog, a stand-alone website, photo essay, animation, public service announcement, video or some combination of these items.
Develop an interactive application or game.
Entries Close: Wednesday 25 April
Global

May
Write 4 Fun Art Competition
Students from around Australia are encouraged to enter their most creative piece of artwork and compete for the first prize of $1000 and the choice of either an Apple iPod Touch, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DSi XL or Sony Digital Camera. Entry is free.
Entries close: Friday 4 May
Australia

Mother's Day
Sunday 13 May

INTERFACExpo 2012
This is a free event for people who make the decisions at schools about the direction and implementation of ICT solutions. It offers presentations and hands-on workshops, exhibition and displays of solutions in action, and networking with peers.
Tuesday 15 May – Dunedin
Friday 18 May – Taupo
Monday 21 May – Wellington
Wednesday 23 May – Auckland

Sydney Writers' Festival
The 2012 Sydney Writers’ Festival focuses on the line between the public and the private. The question of the limits of what is personal is one of the hottest subjects around. More than 300 events with over 400 participants in a week designed to stimulate, move, inspire and provoke. Private. Public. Discuss.
Monday 14 May – Sunday 20 May
Sydney, Australia

School Days 2012
School Days is a celebration of literature for children and young adults, featuring a handpicked line-up of writers for both primary and secondary schools. In the hugely popular sessions, writers and illustrators will perform, read from their work, talk about their craft and take questions from the audience.
Monday 21 May – Friday 25 May
Sydney, Australia

Library and Information Week
Library and Information Week aims to raise the profile of libraries and information service professionals in Australia.
Sunday 20 May – Saturday 26 May
Australia

National Simultaneous Storytime
Part of Library & Information Week, the National Simultaneous Storytime is a popular, annual event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age appropriate themes and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Grades 1 to 6. This year’s book is The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland is a wonderful Australian tale about friendship, sacrifice and learning that appearances aren't important.
Wednesday 23 May at 11am AEDT
Australia


While we have endeavoured to provide accurate information in this post, Essential Resources cannot accept responsibility for any oversights or omissions; nor are the events listed here necessarily endorsed by Essential Resources.