In this time of high-stakes tests and school accountability, English classrooms have been pushed to become increasingly serious places. Combining NCLB pressures with desires to use literature to do important cultural work--such as fighting ethnic, gender, and social-class discrimination--virtually bans humor from the classroom. This is unfortunate…

An English teacher describes her feelings, experiences, and attitudes about keeping humor in the classroom. (RL)

Advocates incorporating humor in the classroom (as a means of assessing students' learning and understanding) by deliberately establishing a classroom environment conducive to original expression and risk-taking, and by the juxtaposition of curriculum material. (SR)

Indicates some of the pitfalls of using humor in the high school English classroom. Notes the need for striking a balance between serious and humorous classroom discussion. (RL)

Presents responses from 22 teachers on activities used to increase student awareness of language usage and language patterns and to heighten student appreciation for specific works of literature. (RL)

Compares the effects of different types of humor in the classroom: humor drawn from literature, humor at the expense of literature, humor that puts someone down, humor that builds up or shapes identity, and humor as a classroom-management tool. Shows how teachers can use laughter as a conduit for students to find humor in what they read and write.…

Relates personal experiences and applies Freud's theory of humor to explain why teachers should not treat the study of comedy too seriously in the English classroom. (RL)

Two high school English teachers disagree on the efficacy of making jokes about racial and cultural stereotypes. (RL)