Unless a relational base is &eloped, the teacher's effort to incorporate humor into instruction may go unrewarded.
Humor and the Enjoyment of College Teaching
Jean M . Civikly Several summers ago, I made a wise decision to enroll in an Intensive Spanish class. Not only did I learn a measure of conversational Spanish, but I also observed humor being used to help the students learn the "foreign" verbs and phrases. Through his energy and intentness, the instructor communicated his enjoyment and love for teaching. He had polished his teaching skills and use of humor to such a degree that a student's fear of speaking in public in an unfamiliar language was transformed into an attractive challenge-avoidance became approach. The incorporation of humor into the language lessons also benefited the instructor. When Sr. Barela told a funny story, en espafiol, he was able to determine the students' understanding of the language-laughter (or moans and boos at the puns and corny jokes) let him know that the class had understood. It was a very tactful teaching style and a most pleasant and safe way to learn.
Review of the research on humor and teaching (Zillman and Bryant, 1983) indicates that the role of humor in teaching and learning is a curious one-complex, confusing, and seldom a laughing matter. In The Art of Teaching, Gilbert Highet observed that "one of the most important