The Power Of Humor And Improvisation In The Classroom

Why are student’s eyes glazed over or rolled back in their heads as the teacher talks? It is no accident. Students are not listening, they are not engaged in the learning process, they are thinking about after school games, or how they can manage to pass without studying. Let’s face it; many classroom experiences are less than motivating!Educational approaches have often been thought of as overly serious, inflexible, stoic, and even sometimes joyless, especially in the college classroom. Scripted lectures continue to predominate as the teaching method of choice.

Effective communication involves more than the spoken word. Speakers need to know and apply the Mehrabian Model of Communication (1981). Mehrabian established this classic statistic for the effectiveness of spoken communications:

7% of meaning is in the words that are spoken.
38% of meaning is paralinguistic (the way that the words are said).
55% of meaning is in facial expression.
What does this tell us?

Evidence-based research demonstrates collaborative and creative approaches (such as humor and improvisation) result in an engaged, participating student, increased higher order thinking (such as contrasting and evaluating), individual and group accountability. In addition, humor and improvisation strategies enhance class discussion and role play, build teamwork, encourage risk taking, improve critical thinking, and stimulate creativity (Berk, 1996, 2002, 2003; Gardner, 1993; Goleman, 1998; Moshavi, 2001). Improvisation exercises and humor strategies are tools you can add to your arsenal of teaching and speaking techniques increasing student awareness of problems and ideas fundamental to their intellectual development.

Dare to go where few teachers have gone before and try any one of the following innovative ways of having your message heard.

Warnings on handouts or power point presentations such as: “You could be a winner! No purchase necessary; details inside.”

One - liners on transparencies or on handouts such as:

· “Why do fat chance and slim chance mean the same thing?”
· “Energizer Bunny arrested and charged with battery.”

Create parodies from popular TV Sitcoms, Broadway Musicals, and from music your audience is listening to now. Imagine opening with a parody of Star Trek. The room is darkened, you have a flash light on as you enter reciting your objectives using the theme of the “Final Frontier and taking your students where few have gone before!” You play the music from Star Trek as you speak the last words of your parody. Your class is “putty in your hands!”

Use the “Top Ten” principle for any subject you are teaching. Make them humorous as you emphasize the most important points of your lesson. You could have:

· “Top 10 Ways To Alienate Your Class Mates”
· “The Top 10 Ways To Prevent Your Best Friend From Using Drugs!”

Rap It Up. Have students write “Rap or Poems” about the most important points you made in your class or presentation. Have volunteers read or perform their creation. Laughter will be pouring out of the doors and windows; not to mention the lesson will never be forgotten!

Introduce Improvisational Theater Techniques to the Classroom. Improvisation has been defined as intuition guiding action in a spontaneous way.

· Yes, and…The Golden Rule: Say yes, accept the offer, build on it, contribute, and discover new ideas. A person must make an offer of his own in response to his partner’s. It is this process that harnesses the power of collaboration. Each team member is responsible for contributing to and supporting the group’s activity. With this method, brainstorming leads to innovative solutions.

· Goals: Improve listening skills, foster cooperation, learn to accept offers.
· Great for content review and substantive discussion

· Directions for implementation

o Players must agree with the others no matter what is said
o Player 1 begins a conversation with a positive declarative statement
o Player 2 agrees with player 1 by first saying “yes and…”then making his/her own declarative statement. After responding positively, you carry the conversation and the story forward by adding to the information.
o If player one says “Let’s go to the movies.” Player two might answer, “Yes, and let’s sneak some popcorn into the theater.” Player one says “Yes, and I’ll put the butter in my pocket.”
o This format allows the conversation to continue and develop in interesting ways
o “Yes, but…” or even answering “yes” without the “and” is not enough.
o “Yes, and…” plus another declarative sentence opens the scene to unlimited possibilities

Freeze Tag: An Improvisational Approach to Class Discussion
(modified from Moshavi, 2001). (A Freeze Tag example is described below; adapted from Moshavi, 2001).Procdeure:Begin by telling the class you’d like to have them explore a specific management theory or concept (of your choosing) through an improvisational exercise called freeze tag. (For instance, if you have been discussing theories of motivation, you might have the exercise focus on goal setting theory (Locke, 1968).) Then, ask the class for a place of business. Accept the first response that reasonably fits the request. Typical responses are banks, stores, restaurants, hospitals, and factories. Next, ask for a type of business relationship between two people that are employed in this setting (rather than for the physical positions requested in the theatre version). Responses are often based on the place of business suggested and include such relationships as: employee/supervisor, bank manager/teller, doctor/nurse, etc. After restating the theory, place of business and the type of relationship, tell the class that, based on this information, two student volunteers will create a scene. Ask for two volunteers. Explain that when the scene begins to stagnate or the student volunteers begin to falter, someone in the class should stop the action by yelling “freeze.” Let them know that in your experience, this faltering often occurs within 15 to 30 seconds and almost always within one minute.The person who yells freeze then makes his/her way to the front of the room, taps one of the two student volunteers on the shoulder, and replaces him/her “on stage.” The two remaining students then pick up from the point where the previous scene stopped and continue to advance the action until the scene is once again frozen and a student volunteer is replaced. (Note: The instructor should be prepared to call out the first “freeze” and join a scene if students are initially hesitant.) After there have been four or five “freezes,” stop the action and ask for a new place of business and a new type of business relationship and repeat the exercise. This allows the class to apply the chosen theory in a different business context.Following these exercises, the instructor generally asks questions that enhance the learning. Sample questions include the following:

Did we successfully meet the objectives of the game?
What made it successful or unsuccessful?
What were their biggest fears?
What insights did you gain?
What’s important to the group? Rules or flow?

The instructor then reviews the key points of the content material presented in the exercise and leads a brief discussion of its application to class objectives and how students would use principles in their personal or professional lives.Freeze Tag ExampleTopic suggested by instructor: Equity TheorySuggestion from Class for a Place of Business: Factory floorSuggestion from Class for a Type of Business Relationship: Co-workersStudent 1: I can’t believe that you got a 10% raise and I only got a 5% raise.Student 2: I know, it’s amazing that the boss thinks I’m so valuable.Student 1: I wish the boss thought I was valuable.Student 2: It’s definitely a bummer.Student 3: FREEZE! (Student 3 taps Student 1 on the shoulder and replaces her) So what’s your secret to success?

Student 2: Well, I’m constantly kissing up to him.Student 3: I’d love to hear some of your tips.Student 2: The first thing I do is, I um....try and .....
Student 4: FREEZE! (student 4 taps student 2 on the shoulder and replaces him) Well, the first thing I do is grunt loudly when I’m fixing the machinery to make him think I’m giving 100%.Student 3: Wow, that’s a great idea.Student 4: I also deliberately spill some grease on my pants and rub it on my face each afternoon. Makes it seem like I’m so busy I don’t even have time to clean myself off.Student 3: So what you’re saying is that even though you don’t work any harder, the boss thinks your level of input and output is higher than the rest of us.Student 4: I guess that’s what I’m saying.Student 3: Interesting.Student 4: Very.Student 5: FREEZE! (Student 5 taps student 4 on the shoulder and replaces him.)(AND THE SCENE CONTINUES...) As teachers, you can use these techniques with your classes to demonstrate how much content information they were able to process as well as demonstrating critical thinking skills, reducing the fear of making mistakes, and gaining confidence. In addition you and your class will have had fun learning with each other. The best part about this technique: neither you or your students need a degree in acting!


References:

Berk, R. A. (1996). Student ratings of 10 strategies for using humor in college
teaching. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 7(3), 71–92.

Berk, R. A. (2002). Humor as an instructional defibrillator: Evidence-based techniques in teaching and assessment. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Berk, R. A. (2003). Professors are from Mars, Students are from Snickers: How to write and deliver humor in the classroom and in professional presentations. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: The theory in practice. New York: Basic Books.

Goleman, D. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.

Mehrabian, A. (1981). Silent messages: Implicit communication of emotions and attitudes (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Moshavi, Dan. (2001). "Yes And”: Introducing Improvisational Theatre Techniques to the Management Classroom," Journal of Management Education,
25(4), 437-449.

The Power of Humor in the Classroom

The Power Of Humor And Improvisation In The Classroom
Roz Trieber, MS, CHES

Higher education is often called “death by lecture.” More recently it is called “death by “PowerPoint.” How much do you think students remember or even talk about after hearing your presentations? What are they telling their friends, Romans, and Countrymen? Oh, I mean classmates?

Let the rumors begin! You are guilty of increasing their learning quotient with Humor and Improvisation. These creative strategies grab the student’s attention, build rapport, and stimulate the right and left brain to new levels of productivity. Don’t you feel great already? It’s all your fault or creative genius!

Effective communication involves more than the spoken word. Speakers need to know and apply the Mehrabian Model of Communication (1981). Mehrabian established this classic statistic for the effectiveness of spoken communications:
• 7% of meaning is in the words that are spoken.
• 38% of meaning is paralinguistic (the way that the words are said).
• 55% of meaning is in facial expression.
What does this tell us?
Evidence-based research demonstrates collaborative and creative approaches (such as humor and improvisation) result in an engaged, participating student, increased higher order thinking (such as contrasting and evaluating), individual and group accountability. In addition, humor and improvisation strategies enhance class discussion and role play, build teamwork, encourage risk taking, improve critical thinking, and stimulate creativity (Berk, 1996, 2002, 2003; Gardner, 1993; Goleman, 1998; Koppett, 2001). Improvisation exercises and humor strategies are tools you can add to your arsenal of teaching and speaking techniques increasing student awareness of problems and ideas fundamental to their intellectual development.

Dare to go where few speakers have gone before and try any one of the following innovative ways of having your message heard.

1. Warnings on handouts such as: “You could be a winner! No purchase necessary; details inside.”

2. One - liners on transparencies or on handouts such as:

• “Why do fat chance and slim chance mean the same thing?”
• “Energizer Bunny arrested and charged with battery.”

3. Create parodies from popular TV Sitcoms, Broadway Musicals, and from music your audience is listening to now. Imagine opening with a parody of Star Trek. The room is darkened, you have a flash light on as you enter reciting your objectives using the theme of the “Final Frontier and taking your audience where few students have gone before!” You play the music from Star Trek as you speak the last words of your parody. Your audience is “putty in your hands!”

4. Use the “Top Ten” principle for any subject you are speaking. Make them humorous as you emphasize the most important points of your presentation. You could have:

• “Top 10 Ways To Alienate Your Class Mates”
• “The Top 10 Ways To Prevent Your Best Friend From Using Drugs!”

5. Rap It Up. Have students write “Rap or Poems” about the most important points you made in your class or presentation. Have volunteers read or perform their creation. Laughter will be pouring out of the doors and windows; not to mention the lesson will never be forgotten!

6. Introduce Improvisational Theater Techniques to the classroom and your audiences. Improvisation has been defined as intuition guiding action in a spontaneous way.
• Yes, and…The Golden Rule: Say yes, accept the offer, build on it, contribute, and discover new ideas. A person must make an offer of his own in response to his partner’s. It is this process that harnesses the power of collaboration. Each team member is responsible for contributing to and supporting the group’s activity. With this method, brainstorming leads to innovative solutions, improved critical thinking skills, and incredible listening skills; not to mention instant replay of realizing how well your message was synthesized! What could be better than that?

• Goals: Improve listening skills, foster cooperation, learn to accept offers
• Directions for implementation

Players must agree with the others no matter what is said
Player 1 begins a conversation with a positive declarative statement
Player 2 agrees with player 1 by first saying “yes and…”then making his/her own declarative statement. After responding positively, you carry the conversation and the story forward by adding to the information.
If player one says “Let’s go to the movies.” Player two might answer, “Yes, and let’s sneak some popcorn into the theater.” Player one says “Yes, and I’ll put the butter in my pocket.”
This format allows the conversation to continue and develop in interesting ways
“Yes, but…” or even answering “yes” without the “and” is not enough.
“Yes, and…” plus another declarative sentence opens the scene to unlimited possibilities

Engage Your Audience One Word At A Time. It’s not unintelligent or unprofessional. Here is an excellent way to increase communication skills, stimulate creativity, and discover how much of your message was heard.

Here’s how it works:
1. Have participants stand in a circle.
2. Pick a topic or a title for the story.
3. Create work- at- a – time “proverbs,” which summarize the learning of your training material or teaching material.
4. Give each person in the circle only one turn, so that the proverb or story must end with the last person. You can have several circles going at one time. Identify a recorder and a spokesperson from each circle. When each circle has completed their proverb, have each spokesperson share their proverb.
5. Participants can end sentences with the inflection of their voice.
6. Encourage eye contact and speed.
7. Debrief with the following questions:
a. When did you feel satisfied?
b. Did you censor yourself/ How?
c. What would happen if we did this everyday for a month?
d. How is this like teamwork on a job or in class?
e. Spontaneous laughter, critical thinking, self-assessment, and self –confidence are outcomes this kind of participant engagement.

As speakers, you can use these techniques with your audiences to demonstrate how much content information they were able to process as well as demonstrating spontaneous thinking skills, reducing the fear of making mistakes, and gaining confidence. In addition you and your audience will have had fun learning with each other. The best part about this technique: neither you or your audience need a degree in acting!

References:

Berk, R. A. (1996). Student ratings of 10 strategies for using humor in college
teaching. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 7(3), 71–92.

Berk, R. A. (2002). Humor as an instructional defibrillator: Evidence-based techniques in teaching and assessment. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Berk, R. A. (2003). Professors are from Mars, Students are from Snickers: How to write and deliver humor in the classroom and in professional presentations. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: The theory in practice. New York: Basic Books.

Goleman, D. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.

Koppett, K. (2001). Training to Imagine. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Mehrabian, A. (1981). Silent messages: Implicit communication of emotions and attitudes (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

What Is This Thing Called Humor?

According to C.W. Metcalff, humor is a way of being, seeing and interacting with the world. Have you noticed there are people who seem to be fun, up beat and able to laugh in tough times? And it makes their life lighter and healthier and even increases their bottom line? They are the folks who come to work wearing a funny hat or clown nose when you least expect it. Humorized (I made up that word) people are able to share silly riddles with their children, play funky games and laugh without a reason. Fun is their goal. Of course, there are also those folks who are just plain gloomy, bleak, stiff, un-amused and just don’t get it (the joke that is)! You know them: their face is stiff and would crack if they smiled or even attempted to enjoy the “Dilbert” cartoon posted at the copier! Who would be your choice to hang around with?

Humor takes you out of your normal frame of reference and, if only for a moment, opens your eyes a little wider. It can open the mind and excite the soul. Having a sense of humor or engaging in random laughter is not about being a stand up comic. With laughter, we acknowledge the reality of our own perceived imperfections and move on to other productive things. We can see the absurdity of the situation. It is about feelings, a combination of being relaxed and calm, at ease with yourself and others. A sense of humor helps us see new possibilities in difficult situations, to feel larger than the problem and change the perceptions of our circumstances before they change us. It is having the ability to hope for something better or just have fun in the moment. Don’t forget - if everything is perfect, there is no comedy! “Only when the usher trips over the bride’s veil do we have comedy”—or so says Phyllis Diller.

What’s the Secret?

This is how it works. Laughter transforms your mind and body into a Whole Goodbody. When you smile, so do others. A smile gains attention, invites interactions and expresses understanding. Laughter is a smile that engages the whole body. When you are laughing, problems and worries are temporarily beamed to another planet. You gain a new perspective on things. Laughing with others is bonding; it leads to positive repartee. It is even nourishing.

The Benefit Plan

Many studies have demonstrated the benefits of laughter. Can you imagine your immune system improving, abdominal muscles getting an aerobic workout, blood pressure and heart rate reduced and circulation improved because you have increased your oxygen exchange by laughing? Would you believe even your cholesterol can take a nose-dive? And if you are the moody kind, laughter will help change those gloomy, down in the dumps blues in a nanosecond.

Stress destroys and humor heals. Humor is empowering; it takes your mind off distress and eases the pain. What are you waiting for? Laugh now—avoid the rush!

Did you think when you failed art class in the second grade because you couldn’t color inside the lines you lost your creative and thinking gene? You don’t need to dial 911—humor is the rescue. Thinking and creative ability are improved when placed in a good-humored atmosphere (you remember-vanilla ice cream covered with a thin chocolate coating). That’s right. Genuine scientific studies demonstrate people become more creative working in an environment of high energy and stimulated by fun and laughter. Dr. Arthur Van Gundy of the University of Oklahoma, a known authority in the field of creativity, conducted a study with college students comparing the affect of two different types of environments on the ability to come up with ideas for new snacks: chips, pretzels, etc. One group was in an average classroom and told to brainstorm ideas. The other group was in a room with loud music, good food and Nerf ™ guns. The fun stimulated group came up with 310 ideas while the traditional brainstorming group came up with 29 ideas. The results speak for themselves. Give us fun and games and we will generate more energy and productive ideas than the EverReady ™ Battery.

Before you pooh-pooh the idea, engage in a hardy laugh before you have your next annual review or have to spend an evening with your mother-in-law. Your tolerance to pain increases when you laugh and you can stay focused on whatever you are doing. Just think, you’ll be able to say, “I don’t think so” rather then being trapped in the sea of toxic niceness.




Roz Trieber works with organizations to reduce stress and increase productivity using humor and improvisation. For more information on Roz ’s speaking programs, books, cd's and learning programs contact HUMORFUSION at 410.998.9585 or Roz@humorfusion.com. (www.humorfusion.com)

Welcome to the HumorFusion Blog

What's It All About?
HumorFusion is all about taking your job seriously and your self lightly; all with a focus on reducing stress and negativity personally and professionally.

HumorFusion delivers successful strategies for combining appropriate Humor and simple Improvisational skills that increase productivity and profits in the workplace, facilitate academic success, and cope with health issues.

What's In It For You?
Organizations that have successfully used HumorFusion report higher morale, increased motivation and increased problem solving skills. Specifically results include:

More effective teams
Enhanced verbal and listening skills
Overcoming the challenge of working with difficult people
Improving the ability of individuals to think and act on their feet

So check back frequently for articles, specific tools, tips and strategies on humor and Improv that you can use to manage stress and negativity so you can live life laughing.