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)

Explores the many facets of graffiti as humor, with some educational asides about using graffiti to explain forms, styles, attitudes, and variations in language. (RL)

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

Uses trademarks that are calculated misspellings, bumper sticker slogans, the strained and pretentious language of Howard Cosell, and governmental jargon to illustrate how to attune students to the magic and power of language, while poking fun at language abuse. (RL)

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

Notes the unintentional humor so often found in directions. Describes an assignment on writing directions carefully--and the humorous results. (RL)

The theory and practice of analyzing jokes, with implications for class discussions. (RL)

Explains why humor should be studied in English classrooms and how humorous writing serves as a vehicle for making its readers more socially conscious of human values. Offers a list of books that can be used in classroom discussions of humor. (RL)

Describes how one high school English teacher uses puns on a regular basis to augment his vocabulary reviews. Argues that doing so aids in developing students' vocabulary, since it compels students to pay closer attention and gives many students a chance to display their creative-thinking skills. (SR)

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)

Describes the wide variety of personal statements and "mini-poems" on personalized license plates. Suggests that having students collect such statements might be a way of teaching them about the creative potential of language. (EL)

Four teachers discuss benefits of humor and the disadvantages of sarcasm. Includes a humorous piece on teaching cheating in the classroom. (EL)