[Melani Huberts]

There was this one time when a little girl in my class was feeling upset. She had misplaced her favorite toy, and she was quite distressed about it. I decided to lighten the mood by using humor. I pretended to be a ‘toy detective’ and, together with the other children, we embarked on a ‘search mission’ to find her toy. We made funny detective hats out of paper, and every time we checked a spot, we giggled and pretended to be on a secret mission. Eventually, we found the toy hidden under a cushion, and everyone celebrated with laughter and high-fives. It not
only helped the upset child feel better, but it also created a joyful atmosphere in the classroom, making the children more relaxed and engaged in the learning activities that followed

[Jenny Haskins]

Once, a child was upset, and I made a funny face. The child laughed, and soon others joined in. Humor helped us connect, making the classroom a happier place

[Laurie Bowman]

I often use funny voices and silly stories to engage children.

[Carol Snyder]

I like to use different facial expressions and voices when the children and I are engaged in transitions throughout the day.

[Nikki]

Whenever something spills or drops in the classroom I say, “uh-oh spaghettio” and it makes them laugh.

[Diane]

A time when humor helped in the classroom was when a child was trying to open the top of the glitter jar and the glitter went all over the table. Instead of being upset, i said”Happy New Year!” and we all laughed!

[Trainer]

Diane, your example shows how humor can turn a potentially frustrating situation into a lighthearted moment, creating a positive and joyful classroom atmosphere. Well done!

[April]

There was a time during the end of circle time, the children remebered that after circle is snack time. Instead of me saying, It is time for snack. I said, “It is time for lunch.” The children looked and me and started to laugh. One of the kids said, “You are funny.” I laughed with them and said , “You are correct, it is snack time.”

[Trainer]

April, your story highlights the positive impact of humor on building connections and creating a lighthearted classroom atmosphere, promoting joy and laughter among the children. Great example!

[April]

Another humor is when I read a book of The 3 Little Pigs and I ‘ve changed my voice from Little Pig to Big Bad Wolf and they children started to laugh.

[Nuo Cheng]

Once, during a science experiment, a mishap caused some foam to spill onto a student’s shirt, creating a funny situation. Instead of getting flustered, I made a joke about the “foamy fashion trend.” The students laughed, and we turned it into a game of who could come up with the silliest foam-related puns. This lighthearted moment broke the tension, fostering a relaxed and positive atmosphere in the classroom. It encouraged bonding among the students and me, making the learning environment more enjoyable and conducive to open communication.

[Trainer]

Great use of humor! Your ability to turn a mishap into a lighthearted moment shows how humor can foster a positive and relaxed classroom atmosphere, encouraging bonding and open communication.

[Kate]

Absolutely! There was this one time when we were learning about animals, and I decided to incorporate some funny animal noises into the lesson. I asked the kids to guess which animal was making each sound. The kids found it hilarious and couldn’t stop laughing!

[Madison]

I use funny faces and tones which makes the kids laugh throughout the day, when a student spills something on accident I will put a smile on my face and assure them accidents happen and they smile with me.

[Trainer]

Madison, your use of humor to connect with children is fantastic! Creating a lighthearted atmosphere helps children feel comfortable and safe in the classroom. Great job!

[Melissa Gilbert]

Once when I had a knee jerk reaction and wasn’t as pleasant to my class as I would have liked to be, I covered my emotional outburst with humor. The children were young and I caught myself earlier enough and turned it into a “monster moment”. This was a random moment in the school day when I, or a single child (when directed to to by the teacher), or the whole class would act out our silliest monsters. By turning the moment into humor it connected us as a group, instead of causing emotional hurt to the group with my natural and human reaction of being upset when a child stomped on my foot with their chair accidentally.

[Kelly Costello]

There was a time when the children were all in line to use restrooms and wash hands before snack. We watched the child go in but didn’t see them leave and the door and light was still on. We all were eating patiently. Then the child came in and asked a question and all of us were like wait. We thought you were in the bathroom! We were waiting. I then called the child magician for the rest of the day and he thought that was really cool. We all had a good laugh.

[Shannon]

We had and EXTREMELY shy little one in our class. Whenever we would lock eyes, I would smile and she would smile back. After a while she started talking to me a little bit, and that is when I found out she LOVED to be silly. She would pretend I had a spider on my head, for example, and I would either make a huge fuss, or play along and say he was my pet. She loved these interactions. One of her favorites was when she would tuck her hands into her coat sleeve, and we would walk around looking, and calling, for her “lost” hands. Humor brought her out of her shell, and let her know that I was a safe place to express herself.

[Trainer]

Shannon, your experience with humor and the shy student shows how it can create a safe and fun environment for children to open up and express themselves. Great example!

[Delayna]

Sometimes when I try to get involved with the kids and be childish/imature the kids will all look at me funny and say “teacher you are funny we know you’re not really a kid” and this sets a very playful mood in the classroom.