I had fantastic fifth-grade teachers. Mrs. Pezzaponi, Mr. Durphy, and Mr. Karen were in a team teaching program and we were the first large-sized, open-walled classroom in the district to try out this new idea. It was the 1960's, okay?
I remember it being really different… and fun. We laughed our entire school year away and my grades (and classroom engagement) were never better.
That’s why I couldn’t help but smile when I read this article about 60-year-old Janet Lifshin, a go-getter and literacy instructor. It seems that Janet is known as the ‘HAHA’ lady because of her quirky clothes and her unique approach to reading. Janet’s mission is to make reading and learning fun.
Janet created a Laughter and Literacy class for the Center for Creative Education in West Palm Beach. Her main strategy is the use of comics, fun projects, and crazy props.
It's probably good to remind ourselves that children laugh 400 times a day up to 4 years old, while adults laugh 15 times a day. Laughing is an underestimated psychological tool in the classroom environment.
Others support the idea of fun and laughter as a way to improve learning. Did you know that there is actually an organization called, The National Institute of Play? Don't worry, I didn’t either.
The National Institute of Play believes that as play is woven into the fabric of social practices, we will dramatically transform our personal health, our relationships, the education we provide our children and the capacity of our corporations to innovate.
"The truly great advances of this generation will be made by those who can make outrageous connections, and only a mind which knows how to play can do that." -Nagle Jackson
The group has identified seven types of play that create a framework of learning.
- Imaginative and Pretend Play
- Transformative-Integrative and Creative Play
You may also want to check out The Laughing Classroom: Everyone’s Guide to Teaching with Humor and Play by Loomans, Kolberg, and Weston.
The school year is just beginning and it’s time to teach students how to learn, and how to play and how to laugh.
We’d like to make you smile by offering you Reading Horizons Online Workshop for Teachers. This free course will teach you word decoding skills and more. Access it here >