Many teachers understand that humor is inherent to the human being and that is why it is not only natural to use it in class, but it is also a good idea for life, as it is something very healthy. Additionally, humor is by nature contagious and this creates a strong sense of community that is very beneficial to the classroom. Laughter is sometimes the answer to problems , to the troubles of life … but it can also be an excellent ally in our way of seeing the world and learning.

 

humor aprendizaje

 

Humor also activates our senses, which is where learning begins, so it seems logical to think that humor can also be effective when it comes to acquiring content. That is, it can be much easier to learn something if it is taught with a dose of humor , just as it can be very good for children to learn to eat well with healthy but also fun recipes. And it is that the human body remembers all those situations or things that have made it laugh much more than those that have not, such as funny moments at school and in high school, or certain details of a movie that we have seen in the past that we have not seen. we manage to forget.

Research in neuroscience reveals that humor systematically activates our brain’s dopamine reward system, and many cognitive studies show that dopamine is important for both goal-oriented motivation and enhancing long-term memory . Likewise, focused on the field of education, we also know that when humor is used correctly it becomes a very effective tactic to improve retention and to enhance the ability to study from when children are very young.

 

 

The use of humor as a study tool

But what does it mean to use humor correctly as a study tool? Well, it means that it is not simply a question of a teacher telling jokes between explanation and explanation, but that said humor must be appropriate, well conducted and related to the subject of study in question, otherwise the students would only perceive the message that the teacher is funny, without this affecting in any way that what they have heard about the lesson is retained in their heads.

Another important aspect is that the humor that is implemented is appropriate for each age group . For example, if the idea is to use humor in front of a classroom full of adolescents, there is no reason to be nervous, since adolescents tend to release more dopamine and therefore have more dopamine receptors than adults. This means that, due to their dopamine reward system, adolescents may be prepared to react positively to educational humor much better than younger students. In this sense, trying to tell a funny story, or allowing students to give their own humorous examples in projects or discussions, can be a very good idea.

But how can humor be made with educational content ? Well, this is something that, although it has its keys, does not house too many mysteries and media so little related to a quality education as television have exercised it for decades, perhaps one of the best examples being the Sesame Street program, in the that through jokes and funny scenes with mythical characters, such as the Cookie Monster or Epi and Blas, the children were learning values and everyday tasks and skills.

But finding that correct key has some guidelines and lines that should not be exceeded. Take note of all of them!

 

Guidelines for using humor to benefit learning:

  • Use humor to enhance joy in the classroom.
  • Use humor to develop a sense of community.
  • Use humor related to content.
  • Use age-appropriate humor.

 

Things to avoid for the benefit of learning:

  • Complex sarcasm.
  • Cruel or inappropriate humor.
  • Forced or unnatural humor.
  • Humor outside of learning topics.

 

humor educativo

 

In summary, it appears that educational humor increases the strength of human connections , and that appropriate, non-aggressive humor appears to be a useful learning tool as well. Of course, let’s not forget that this is not an obligation of the teacher and that it is simply a recommendation to follow to improve the tone of the classroom and to make it easier for students to retain the content to work on. That is why it is important not to force it, as that could lead to unpleasant and quite uncomfortable experiences that would completely ruin the objective to be achieved. Turning it into something too complex would not make sense either, since children (especially the youngest ones) may still have difficulty understanding resources such as irony or sarcasm .

 

And you, do you use humor in your classes?

 

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