Being a teacher is a challenging but rewarding profession, one where often, the instructor learns just as much, perhaps even more than the students themselves. The main miscalculation that many teachers make in the industry is that they teach at their students, instead of with them. What I mean is that the teachers simply try to cram as much material as they possibly can into a lecture, breaking it down into different sub-sections and categories, putting the material on the board and simply telling you to write it down. The problem with this method is that it is not only outdated, but grossly ineffective. It has been shown that the greatest teachers are the ones that interact with their students, ones that keep the material interesting and dynamic every day. A good teacher is energetic and attentive, engaging and perhaps even humorous.
Humor is a great tool that is used by many good teachers to insert some levity as well as keep their students focused and refreshed. This isn’t to say that the classroom should be a comedy club, but you should certainly not be shy and be afraid to show your students a bit of your personality. Studies have shown that the more relaxed an environment, the more conducive to learning, which is why techniques like humor go so far in the classroom. Also, the more well-acquainted students are with their instructor, the more willing they are to ask questions about the material, and conversely, the more they care and the more likely they are to pass the class.
Betty Waltersdorf is a professional English teacher who utilizes many modern techniques to keep her classroom interesting.
Humor is a great tool that is used by many good teachers to insert some levity as well as keep their students focused and refreshed. This isn’t to say that the classroom should be a comedy club, but you should certainly not be shy and be afraid to show your students a bit of your personality. Studies have shown that the more relaxed an environment, the more conducive to learning, which is why techniques like humor go so far in the classroom. Also, the more well-acquainted students are with their instructor, the more willing they are to ask questions about the material, and conversely, the more they care and the more likely they are to pass the class.
Betty Waltersdorf is a professional English teacher who utilizes many modern techniques to keep her classroom interesting.