Presents a humorous review of educational jargon. (RL)

A lighthearted look at popular euphemisms and the reasons behind their creation and use. (RL)

Spoofs grammar instruction using characters from William Faulkner's novel "As I Lay Dying." (RS)

Illustrates how the punchline finds the flaw in the system, but the system remains operable. (EL)

A parody of Swift that calls for American parents to once again take the responsibility of education for their children by teaching them by computer at home and abolishing the school system. (CRH)

A tongue-in-cheek version of a school administrator's "memorandum" illustrates how simplistic solutions to the educational problems, such as establishing minimum competencies for writing achievement, are generated and why they may not solve the problems. (RL)

Discusses the relationship between doublespeak and humor in the works of George Orwell, W.H. Auden, Doris Lessing, and others. Suggests that one of the most effective responses to doublespeak is humor, a response which acknowledges doublespeak's incongruities and laughs at them. (ARH)

Demonstrates the impracticality of imposing rigorous definitions on the various stages of the writing process and the ineffectiveness of requiring students to adhere to strict writing strategies. (SRT)

A mock interview with the coach of a fictitious football team about the reasons for and effects of using process orientation as a coaching technique. (CRH)

A mild satire on a part of the English teacher's occupation. (Author)

Explains how puns work and how they are formed. (RL)

Four doctoral students and their professor contemplate the value of play in their high school and college classrooms. They discuss their experiences teaching children's books, student illustrations, and excerpts from magazines and newspapers that convey the intricacies of the English language through homonyms, homophones, homographs, and polysemy.…

Presents a humorous account of possible dissertation topic and its rejection. (EL)

Recounts a childhood experience that helped develop a sense of delight in an author's choice of diction. (EL)

Gives humorous advice for parents interested in helping their children write term papers, such as making sure to understand the footnote and bibliography forms because kids can get pretty annoyed at being marked down on parents' typing. (EL)