I just stood there, looking at them. Couldn’t make any sense of what was happening or what caused it.
And it wasn’t the first time.
All I had said was, “Why was the equal sign so lonely? Because it knew it wasn’t less than or greater than the other numbers!” The class erupted in laughter. It’s an old joke but still effective.
Children need only the slightest excuse to burst into laughter. A sound, a word, gesture, and there, you’ll find them break into uncontrolled guffaws.
It’s a beautiful sight, though a challenging situation, for any teacher to handle!
This incident reminded me that humour need not just be a tool for entertainment. It can be also used to develop cognitive and creative skills in children.
Parents and educators must make best use of this powerful tool.
Of course, it’s important to strike balance. Too much joking around may distract the kids from the learning objectives. The key is to use humour sparingly and intentionally.
Building Cognitive Growth with Humour
1. Fosters Creativity and Imagination
At the end of reading a news lesson, I would often ask my students to come up with new endings for the story.
Some would be funny, some adventurous some plain silly. But it got them to think beyond their textbooks.
It would be a noisy session but it helped build their imagination, storytelling abilities, vocabulary and confidence.
2. Boosts Problem-Solving Skills
Learning becomes less intimidating and more fun.
Every time we did descending numbers, they would shout in unison “Down, down, down!” Not one ever got the answers wrong.
Instead of saying that handspan and foot span are non-standard measures of length, try “Why is the length of the room different when I measure, and you measure?” It gives them a chance to think instead of just learning.
3. Encourages Cognitive Flexibility
A relaxed student is an engaged learner. It makes them more open to learning. It also brings down their rigidity of their thinking.
They think outside the box, interpret as per their understanding and question the logic.
For practicing in class, I would often design worksheets with humorous prompts. Like If a dog ate 3 homework assignments each day, how many assignments would it have eaten in a week?
4. Improves Memory Retention
Using humour or something fun makes them remember the lesson better. It’s always easy to recollect the moments you had fun.
We spent an entire period creating a crocodile head with its mouth wide open. They could draw or make a cut-out or whatever they felt like.
Why did we do that?
Because the crocodile always eats the larger number. After just one session, there was no need to revise comparing numbers! And we also learned about crocodiles.
5. Reduces Stress, Enhances Focus
The exam hall was silent like a graveyard. The students looked tensed.
Just then one teacher walked into the hall and remarked, “Since it’s so quiet, I’m sure you all heard me swearing as I climbed up the stairs!” The room echoed with giggles and chuckles.
With that one sentence, she broke the spell, dispelled the tension.
A light-hearted atmosphere in the class ensures the children feel relaxed. It makes them more receptive to learning and improves their focus.
How Using Humour Benefits Cognitive Growth
1. Enables students to approach challenges with their creativity and imagination.
2. It allows them to develop critical thinking by finding patterns in humour.
3. It builds the confidence, trust and rapport that the teacher and students share.
4. It fosters a growth mindset by reducing anxiety or the fear of failure.
5. Humour breaks the boundaries and promotes teamwork and social bonding.
Final Thoughts
What better way to teach than with laughter?
Humour has always helped me connect with my students. It’s been one of the most effective tools I’ve often used to make lessons fun and to get my students to think in new and innovative ways.
Teaching becomes more enjoyable when students are more engaged and willing to learn.
To ensure you’ve their attention, embrace humour as an integral part of teaching.
We can’t forget that we’re nurturing a generation of creative flexible and thoughtful learners.
So, the next time you step into your classroom, smile and remember to use some humour to make the experience more enjoyable.