This week we focused on humor in the math classroom. Humor can add to any class and at any grade level and helps keep the students interested on what is going on in the classroom. This week we watched several humorous videos and were provided with a list of links regarding humor in the math classroom. Of course this was a fun thing to study this week but it also made me think about why it is important to have humor in class and my own experiences with math and humor.
Like I had said earlier humor can add to any class and at any grade level. With that I said I think math is one of the classes that can greatly benefit from a little humor. Math is one of those classes that revolve around facts solving problems. Math class is also labeled of the more boring and serious subjects in school. A little bit of humor can totally transform a math classroom. One of the sure fire ways to grab the attention of students is to be funny. By sharing a joke or two and lightening the mood with a funny story or comic students feel the pressure ease off and are more able to concentrate. Keeping the mood light and fun makes the time pass quickly and makes learning fun.
I had my own experiences with humor in the math classroom. Math has always been the one class that I struggled in. Because I struggled in math, it was also my least favorite class to go to during middle and high school. I could just feel my mood drop when I knew math class was coming. All of that changed during 7th grade. I had the BEST math teacher that I had ever had that year. He was one of the funniest teachers that I had ever met. He started every class period off with a funny joke, comic, or story of some kind. When it came time to teach the lesson he did what he was supposed to do, but he did it with a smile. Math class was fun for the first time. As I began to enjoy going to math class, the topics that we were learning about began to be easier for me to understand. I felt at ease when I was in class and that feeling followed me home when it came time to do homework. The fun things that happened during class popped into my head when I was doing homework and made it a bit easier to get through. When I did come across a topic that I needed a little more help on I felt good asking for help. I knew my teacher was willing to help me and would do so happily often times with a joke a two. My 7th grade math teacher changed my whole year when it came to math. I wonder if he really knew the impact his humor had on me and the rest of the class.
I found a fun website that has many different types of jokes. They specifically have a section devoted to jokes that are realted to different school subjects.
This is awesome- it is important for educators to make math class a positive environment for student. Good link for educational jokes as well. Will try them out.
ReplyDeleteMs. R