More than 300 employees of a major Canadian financial institution were asked to rate their supervisors on leadership type and use of humor. According to this study, the employees that performed best throughout the year had managers who used transformational leadership, a type that raises performance through intellectual stimulation, including humor. Apparently, the same good things can be said of humor in the classroom. When humor is used properly, it can be a very effective tool to improve the learning environment and make learning more enjoyable. It's a powerful communication tool no matter which side is chosen.
Teachers can use play and humor to establish a climate conducive to learning.
A study conducted at St. Louis Community College determined the faculty characteristics that students associated with excellence in teaching. Utilizing the 20 most frequently cited characteristics, a second questionnaire was administered to 400 students in introductory Biology, Business, Chemistry, Psychology, and Sociology courses to develop a point value score for each characteristic. Humor, much like golf, is a performance skill. The gene researchers tell me that humor isn't an inherited order or disorder. The following are a few practical techniques for integrating humor in your classroom.