Humor in the classroom – are you born with it – can you learn?

Brad Montgomery, motivational speaker, stand-up comedian and world-class magician says some of us are born with a little gene that helps us to be funny, but if you’re not one of them, you can learn. We can’t turn you into Robin Williams or Carol Burnett, but we can turn you into somebody funnier than you are today. How?

Well, if you want to change, and are willing to apply the energy and the effort, you can do it. I know chemistry teachers who are just hilarious.

If you decide you want to be funny, immerse yourself in humor. Look at musicians as an example. If you wanted to be a guitar player, you would read guitar magazines, visit guitar stores, hang out with other guitar players and go to music clubs — in other words, you would just drown yourself in guitar stuff. That is the first step.

Being funny is a learned science. There are so many different styles of humor. The first step is to be involved in it and know what makes you laugh. Visit bookstores, libraries, comedy clubs. Spend more time on the comedy page of the newspaper. Ask yourself if you find it funny or not. Next time you are watching a TV sitcom — if you are laughing, ask: “Why am I laughing?” If you are not laughing, ask why not. Jump in. Immerse yourself. This is an excellent first step if you want to add humor to your life and in the classroom.

Science teachers tend to get picked on as nerds. But you can create memories and you can create unforgettable learning experiences by deciding you want to be funny, and knowing what makes you laugh.

I’ll be recording brief interviews with teachers who use humor in the classroom over the next few days, so stay posted.

To know more about Brad Montgomery go to www.bradmontgomery.com.

Listen to my podcast on humor in the classroom

(File size is 2.2 MB) (Show length 9 minutes 17 seconds)