Jerome Teelucksingh
IN MARCH 2022, when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, an American comedian, at the Oscars, it seemed as if humour had crossed a boundary. Undoubtedly, humour remains a powerful medium in healing, communication, teaching, and defusing tension. And we all know the value of humour as an antidote for a stressful and tense work environment.
I always make an effort to use humour in teaching history, which unfortunately is viewed as a boring subject. Usually, my classes begin with a funny anecdote or I link the discussion to a popular film or recent local event.
For instance, prior to discussing the theory of the Bering Strait and early migration of peoples to North America, I would mention a scene from the popular movie Ice Age.
Likewise, prior to a serious discussion on the era of pirates and privateers, I would make a joke based on one of the sequels of the well-known movie Pirates of the Caribbean. Such references have an immediate positive effect on the learning atmosphere of the classroom.
Most of the students appreciate the connection with the historical past and popular television shows or movies. Furthermore, approaching a difficult or presumably bland topic with a touch of humour could persuade the student to make the extra effort to understand the topic or subject being discussed.
The magic of humour is in transforming the mindset of students who feel disconnected from the subject or class.
During the past two decades, I have realised that timely doses of humour in lectures and tutorials have significantly increased the teaching and learning processes.
Humour in conference presentations and seminars have also proven to be the ultimate ice-breaker that defused tension and encouraged more verbal participation. On a few occasions the students have taken the initiative and contributed to the humour.
Additionally, occasional jokes while teaching tend to create a public space that makes the student more comfortable and creates a latent bond with other students who are also laughing or enjoying the relaxed environment. Researchers have discovered the importance of laughter, humour and wit in the classroom to strengthen the learning process.
I have witnessed incidents when laughter is contagious in a classroom. Often, a few students would laugh and then others would realise it is okay to also express their feelings.
What are the benefits of laughing during a lecture or tutorial? It helps defuse some of the negative energy and rebuild the environment in which a subject has been stereotyped as boring or bland. Undoubtedly, when students are laughing, certain levels of stress, aggression and rivalry would be neutralised or considerably reduced.
This relaxed environment also makes the teacher feel more appreciated and more at ease. I have regularly witnessed this effect. An appropriate joke while teaching has the dual effect of keeping students alert and notably increasing the retention capacity of my presentation.
More importantly, humour within the classroom has bee
