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Although humor may be a key element in successful programs, little sophistication

has been shown in understanding the various roles humor may play in helping troubled
students. Here the authors provide specific instances and practical examples of how humor
might be used to provide education for troubled students. They draw on anecdotes and
scenarios reported to them by teachers attending their workshops.

22 ... RCY

any of the children and youth seen as "troubled"

have a hard time looking at the humorous side of
any situation. These young people may be angry,
with little in their lives to bring a smile to their faces. Their
response to the stresses in their lives is often violence and
hopelessness, leading to delinquency and possible long-term
incarceration. Once "in the system, " educational opportuni
ties become very limited. Many prevention and treatment
programs have failed, and researchers are now looking at
schools as possible "treatment" centers (Gold, 1995). Martin
Gold found two key components in successful alternative
school programs. The first dealt with preventing the students
from failing. While this component is important, the second
is more compelling: giving students warm, interpersonal sup
port. He concludes that to feel connected, children and youth
need interactions with others who can teach them how to be
human. Humor can help us be more human and learn to
laugh at ourselves.

Uses of Humor
Educators and researchers find that humor relieves tension,
makes learning more human, and helps us cope successfully
with adversity and stress. They also agree that the teacher is
crucial if humor is to be present in the classroom (Crabbs,
Crabbs, & Goodman, 1986; Rogers, 1984; Baughman,
1979). The teacher can allow or disallow humor and subse
quent laughter by accepting or rejecting its purpose. Model
ing appropriate use of humor can help troubled children and
youth learn to laugh at themselves and can offer them warm,
interpersonal support.

Humor can be viewed either as an attitude or trait inherent in

a teacher or as a deliberate classroom intervention strategy
(Carlson & Peterson, 1995). Those who view humor as an at
tribute or trait suggest that it helps the bonding process be
tween the student and the teacher and fortifies us to manage
problems at all levels (Dolce, 1984). Others posit that it is an
essential trait of an effective teacher (Check, 1986; Johnson,
1983; Scott, 1982).
Whether or not they are naturally "humorous, " teachers can
utilize humor intentionally as a tool for effective classroom
interventions. Three patterns, or general ways of using
humor intentionally, have been noted: (1) as a means of en
hancing classroom climate; (2) as a way to build relation
ships; and (3) as a behavioral intervention (Carlson, 1990).
Humor to Enhance Classroom Climate
Humor used to enhance classroom climate can be invoked on
numerous occasions. A teacher might make a play on words
germane to the subject being discussed at the time. Some
teachers deliver a joke or thought of the day pertaining to the
subject matter of the class, sometimes introducing the sched
uled lesson with these humorous pieces. Similarly, teachers
have reported initiating humorous activities that involve the
entire class:

With five minutes to go in one class period, my student

teacher told the class that if 15 out of 18 students could
whistle, she would bring them all a treat the next day. She
then had the students, one at a time, whistle. Everyone
had to be quiet to hear if each one could perform. The
pressure mounted. Have you ever tried to whistle when
you are smiling? It came down to the last two students,
and they did it!
In this case, everyone was involved in and enjoyed the
incident.
Teachers also use humor to enhance the classroom climate
when they laugh at themselves. Many times the cause of the
humor is the teacher making a mistake. One teacher related
the following incident, which illustrates this use of humor:
On a recent test there was a typographical mistake.
Rather than saying "to go, " the sentence said "to to. " As
soon as one of the students caught the mistake, he let me
know about it. As I often do, I responded with the follow
ing statement. "I can't believe I made that mistake. That
is the first mistake I have made since 1976! " As usual, a
student responded with, "You mean since last hour! "
Using humor in this way shows students that you can laugh
at yourself and helps them develop tolerance and acceptance
for their own and others' mistakes.
In some cases, the humor is directed at the behavior of a spe
cific student, particularly when such behavior is not inappro
priate or disruptive but happens suddenly and attracts attention:
During silent reading time, a student and his entire desk
fell over sideways. After making sure he wasn't hurt, I
suggested that his book was so good that it just "knocked
him over. "
By using humor in this way, the teacher helped the student
deal with what might have been an embarrassing situation.
Before using humor on an individual student, however, it is
important for the teacher to know the student well enough to
predict how the humor will be received. Logically, teachers
should model laughing at their own follies before they begin
helping students laugh at themselves.
Humor to Build Relationships
In each of the examples given above, the use of humor helps
the teacher establish or build relationships with the students.
Subtle differences have been noted when the humor is em
ployed solely to help build relationships. In these cases, the
humor facilitates communication and makes the adult seem
"more human. " Humor is often used with an individual stu
dent or a very small group. Teachers may share something
personal with the student. One teacher reported:
A student was not motivated or interested in working on an
assignment involving the four basic food groups. I started
working with him by classifying certain foods into their
correct groups. We got on the subject of tomatoes, and I

FALL 1995 .A 23

stated my dislike of them-too mushy, seeds get stuck in

my teeth, etc. He started laughing and talked about how he
likes them fresh with sugar sprinkled on them.
In some cases, teachers respond to an idiosyncrasy of the
student:
John is a likable student in my homeroom. We had start
ed a sustained silent reading (SSR) program as part of a
"Book It" program for English. He began each of these
periods in my class by placing tape over his mouth. At
the end of the SSR experiment, I went to the other rooms
to search for my English students to give them a sticker.
When I found John, rather than putting the sticker on his
shirt or jacket, I placed it over his mouth. The class
laughed, and John really seemed to enjoy the special at
tention he received. He left it there for quite some time.
By using humor, the teacher validated his daily ritual and
showed she liked him.
Humor can be used to help put students at ease, so they feel
comfortable about sharing a problem or dealing with an
issue. The following anecdote is from a female teacher:
I have a very quiet, seventh-grade boy who was having
problems at home. Although he was not doing well, he
almost always said there was no need to help him. One
day, when he finally did ask for help, I responded, "Yes,
Ma'am! " He laughed and called me "Sir. " We both
laughed. Since then he always tries to find a way to call
me "Sir" and elicit my reply. He is much more open now;
he leaves me notes and tells me about his mom.
Once young people feel safe and share a laugh, they may feel
secure enough to share other parts of their lives.
Humor can also help a student learn to deal with a problem:
Tom is a student who is a very poor reader; consequently,
we do a lot of oral reading. Sometimes we take turns
reading every other line or paragraph. Occasionally, I
will read and have him fill in key words. He is very self
consdous about his poor reading in front of peers. On
previous occasions, he had always refused to read when
someone came in. On this occasion when a peer entered
the room, Tom laughed and said, "Okay, I'm going to be
the teacher. We've got to practice these hard words, but
I'll help you. " (More laughter). "You fill in the easy
words. " He proceeded to read the words he knew, and
touched every word he did not know with his pen and
nodded to cue me as I usually do for him. He reinforced
my positive responses by saying, "Very good! " "You're
getting it now! " in a way similar to the reinforcement I
give him. We laughed and smiled all the while.
Tom had found a nonthreatening way to read in front of a
peer and meet the teacher's goal of reading aloud, without
embarrassing himself.

24 .A. RCY

Humor as an Intervention to Change Behavior

Three categories of behavior problems are the targets of
teachers' intentional use of humor (Carlson, 1990). Two of
the categories, rule violations (behaviors which break specif
ic classroom or school rules) and off-task behaviors, deal
with specific problems. The rule violations are usually minor
rule infractions such as gum-chewing or sitting in chairs or
desks in an incorrect manner. Off-task behaviors include
being out of seats, wandering around the classroom, and re
fusal to do or complete an assigned task. The third category,
problems having to do with feelings and emotions, does not
necessarily deal with a specific problem. In some cases, stu
dents are dealing with anger, frustration, or a lack of self-es
teem. In all three of these situations, humor can refocus
inappropriate behavior. In the case of disturbing emotions,
humor can help young people feel better about themselves
and lead to a discussion about personal strengths and weak
nesses and setting personal goals.

Humor is recognized by many as a tool to refocus inappro

priate behavior by directing attention to an escalating behav
ior and allowing discussion of other, more appropriate
alternatives (Redl and Wineman, 1952; Long and Newman,
1980). Teachers using humor in this manner can often pre
vent the behavior from escalating and getting out of hand:
Jerome came into my special-education classroom with a
very disagreeable attitude. This affected his ability to
concentrate and finish his project in social studies. It was
also difficult for him to concentrate on his spelling objec
tive. After he made two very negative remarks, I asked
Jerome what the planet he just passed through on his way
to class looked like, and where the guy was who stepped
on his toes. He laughed, made a joke out of the situation,
and was ready to get to work.
Another example was given by a teacher who works with se
verely behaviorally disordered students:
One afternoon, I had to physically escort Jason into our
time-out room. Although most students use a variety of
inappropriate comments in similar situations, all this
student could seem to focus on was how big my mouth
was. "You have such a big mouth! " and "Big Mouth! "
he screamed. I opened the door and said, "You're right
Jason, I do have a big mouth. That's why I became a
teacher. I love to talk. People always say how much I
talk . . . . " I went on and on for a couple of minutes as
Jason just stared at me. When I was finished, I said,
"So Jason, what do you want to do when you grow
up? " The potential situation was totally under control;
we focused on goals and the future and then problem
solved about how the behavior he was choosing would
not help him much in the future. We smiled and
laughed as we talked.
If the student's behavior is not escalating but is one that is
exhibited on a regular basis, humor redirects the behavior

and may serve as a reminder to the student that the behavior

needs to be changed:
Working with a high-risk student who frequently refuses
to do his assignment or make corrections, I approached
him on my knees begging him to "Please, please, please
finish your workbook! " so I could give him a passing
grade. He smiled at me and he finished the book with a
73 percent average.
In refocusing a student's behavior, educators may acknowl
edge the feeling or emotion of the student by choosing to be
part of the joke:
During math class, Tom was working independently.
When he was asked to correct some errors, he responded
to the teacher's aide with nasty looks. She replied, "You
might be attending my funeral, Tom. If looks would kill,
I'd be dead. " She said this in a humorous manner, and he
started to smile, lightened up, and made his corrections.
He continued with his work in a more positive manner.
In another example:
Gwen came into my room extremely upset about an inci
dent that occurred in a previous class. She was angry at
the whole world. I teased her about being grumpy. I told
her that I could be grumpier than she. Just by my being
silly, she lightened up.
Finally, behavior can be redirected by comparing the student
to someone else. The other person may be someone the stu
dent likes and would not mind emulating:
Two of my behaviorally disordered students were upset
with each other about some remarks made about their
families. The two boys were facing off and getting ready
to fight, and I simply defused the situation by getting
their attention and telling them that neither of them were
Mike Tyson or Hulk Hogan and that they should sit
down. They thought the Hulk Hogan thing was funny
and did as they were told. Later we discussed using ap
propriate conversation with one another and not talking
disrespectfully about another person's family.

they feel connected may be very difficult. Clearly, humor can

be used to achieve these objectives by using it to create a cli
mate in which to build relationships and to change inappro
priate behaviors. While using humor may not be the only
important element in serving troubled students, it may be one
which is necessary and of crucial importance to program suc
cess. It is also one which has been underemphasized and un
derused. For teachers to model appropriate uses of humor,
they must know themselves and their students well!

Patricia M. Carlson is assistant professor of special educa

tion in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at
Iowa State University. She received her doctorate from the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has conducted research
on the instructional uses of humor and on instructional inter
ventions in special education.
Reece L. Peterson is associate professor of special education
in the Department of Special Education and Communication
Disorders at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He re
ceived his doctorate from the University of Minnesota, and
his work has focused on intervention and policy issues relat
ed to students with emotional or behavioral disorders.
Address all correspondence to: Patricia M. Carlson, N1 19
Lagomarcino Hall, Curriculum and Instruction, Iowa State
University, Ames IA 5001 1 -3190.
REFERENCES
Baughman, M.D. (1979). Teaching with humor: A performing art. Contemporary Edu

cation, 5 ( 1 ), 26-30.

Carlson, P.M. ( 1 990). Teachers' perceptions of the use of humor as an intervention

with students exhibiting b'ehavior and/or academic problems. Unpublished doctoral dis-.
sertation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Carlson, P.M., & Peterson, R.L. ( 1 995). Changing behavior with humor. Reclaiming

Children and Youth: Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Problems, 4 (2), 28-30.

Check, J.F. ( 1 986). Positive traits of the effective teacher-Negative traits of the inef

fective one. Education, 1 06 (3), 326-334.

Crabbs, M.A., Crabbs, S .K ., & Goodman, J. (1986). Giving the gift of humor (ho, ho,
ho): An interview with Joel Goodman. Elementary School Guidance and Counseling,
21 (2), 1 05- 1 1 3.

Dolce, R. ( 1 984). Being a teacher of the behavior disordered . Education, 105 (2),
155-161 .
Gold, M . ( 1 995). Charting a course : Promise and prospects for alternative schools .

Cautions in Using Humor

While humor can be a very powerful intervention when redi
recting or refocusing behavior, care should be taken that it is
done in an appropriate manner. Sarcasm and put-downs
should not be confused with humor. As with any interven
tion, some planning should be done, if possible, before
humor is used. When redirecting or refocusing behavior, the
humor used should be thoughtful and appropriate to the situ
ation and the student.

Journal o f Emotional and Behavioral Problems, 3 (4), 8 - 1 1 .

Johnson, W . A . ( 1 983). Personality correlates o f preferences for preprofessional training

by special education and regular class trainees. Education, 1 03 (4), 360-368.

Long, N.J., & Newman, R.G. ( 1 980). Managing surface behavior of children in school.
In N.J. Long, W.C. Morse, & R.G. Newman (eds.), Conflict in the classroom: The edu

cation of emotionally disturbed children, [4th e d . , p p . 233-241, Belmont, CA:

Wadsworth Publishing Company.]
Redl, R., & Wineman, D. (1952). Controls from within. New York: Free Press.

Rogers, V.R. (1984). Laughing with children. Educational Leadership 41 (7), 46-50.
Scott, M.E. ( 1 982). Identification of some teacher traits needed by teachers for main
streaming. College Student Journal, 16 (3), 243-248.

Conclusions
Preventing troubled students from failing and giving students
the warm, interpersonally supportive environment where

FALL 1995 ... 25