Use humor in ways that are comfortable and natural in your teaching. Humor assumes various forms; you may tell funny stories, create humorous moments, respond to a circumstance in an amusing manner, be playful with students, or use animations in your voice or gestures. Let your humor flow from your personality; be original and personable.
Humor increases learning by:
- capturing and maintaining students’ attention’
- adding interest to lesson presentation
- assisting in illustrating and applying spiritual principles
- improving students’ recall through pleasant experiences
Humor creates a bond between teacher and students by:
- building a feeling of unity
- breaking down barriers in communication
- fostering positive feelings, leading to increased student motivation
Humor reduces stress by:
- putting students at ease
- freeing students’ minds to learn
- diffusing anger
Humor creates a positive learning environment by:
- making teaching and learning more enjoyable
- keeping failure in perspective
- managing tense moments
Let your heart be merry in the goodness of Christ. Let your students see your joyful spirit and your willingness to have fun. Your juniors will enjoy coming to Sunday School and will gain lasting, positive memories of you as their teacher.
