When I was in sixth grade I had a teacher who would take the time every single day to read the Joke of the Day in the newspaper. Every day, without fail.
We all looked forward to hearing the joke of the day and sometimes we would have a fun discussion about the joke, too.
It was the very first thing we did in his classroom each day and it set the tone for the remainder of the school day.
Laughing and joking immediately puts your mind at ease, it tells your body, “I am safe here, this place is okay.” This is why some people like to joke around when they are in dangerous or stressful situations, they are trying to trick their bodies into thinking they are safe and okay.
School can feel stressful and scary for many students, but starting the school year, and even just your day, in a setting where joking and laughing and great discussions are held tells the mind, “This is somewhere we like to be. This is safe.”
If you’re not already doing something similar to Joke of the Day or adding humor into your classrooms or schools, I would strongly suggest finding a way to implement it.
It’s a simple, easy way to tell your students that they are welcome, safe, needed, and happy in their environment.
Do you do a joke of the day in your classroom?
Photo by Katerina Holmes: https://www.pexels.com/photo/cheerful-black-teacher-with-diverse-schoolkids-5905918/