Education and laughter seem to be mere oxymorons. That's because we all associate education with schooling. Isn't School as an institution our only hope for discipline, seriousness, sense of duty etc to be instilled into the new generation?
Well, I hate to be the messenger whom some will perhaps want to shoot, but the answer is NO! That's HOME, preferably the first 7 years, when the parents (yes, that's correct, the parents) negotiate with the child the limits and boundaries they'll follow through their entire life. That's the time when things are put into perspective: what is good and what is harmful to self, to others, responsibilities, curiosities, basic values, cultural influences and the sought-after privileges and rewards! Only then does the schooling system (which could be improved pretty much everywhere, I am sure we'll all agree here) come to take this dough, add the spices of knowledge, put it into molds and bake it on slow fire. If your dough is not well kneaded, ladies and gentlemen, don't expect the cookie to come out great!
But I digress... I am not really interested in the conventional and much too serious (to be read as sad) understanding of education many a school have - it's simply not my style. I am not interested in the light approach either : we do what we wish and we wish to do nothing! How much fun! Huh??!! No, my focus is laughter as a means of education.
To detail this point of view, I'll return to sweet childhood times when days would be marked, noted and remembered by the naughty stuff I could be relied upon to pull through! Surely, this added quite a bit of spice to my mother's life. There are funny memories - such as the detailed research into the origin of the cartoons by scientifically banging the TV to the floor (age 5) to climbing the table so as to escape the monsters that might have crept into the house after dark (throughout childhood) to writing on the walls (doesn't everyone?!) - and dire consequences they inevitably entailed.
Needless to say that poor mom tried her best to make nice, civilised beings out of a couple of small monsters. Since the child's rights were not applicable in our time and age, but were instead replaced by a long tradition of wise sayings like "where mom hits it will grow" or "beating is descended from heaven" (originating from the wonderful times when angelic fathers (priests) were educating our youth :D) the repercusions of our acts of demonic creativity were bountifully rewarded. And this to such an extent that at a certain point in time any type of forceful reinforcement of discipline and reason was utterly ineffective and would inevitably end in "I'm not hurting... tralalalalala..." and some tongue made visible to spite the agressor.
Therefore mom soon understood that strategy needed to be changed. After a phase of emotional blackmail called "talking to the child as if they were an adult" which worked only if employed sparingly, mom turned to the ultimate weapon: laughter.
Here she discovered gold. From then onwards, everything was sorted out with funny or ironic comments that would always bring about laughter. We were practically taught the core values by studying our behavious and being made aware in a funny manner whenever something was wrong. In addition to that, no experience was spared its educational character. For instance, when a neighbour child would not say hello to someone they knew, the fellon was a "queen"/ "king" and "her/his Majesty's" nose was "up in the clouds"! How uncool! Who would want to be referred to in such derisive terms? Of course my sister and I might have been fellons in the past too! But we would never be fellons again in the future - and that's what's important.
A more recent memory refers to my experience as an educator, in my first year of teaching. One of the highschool groups I was teaching was part of a football (soccer) team and it was a boys-only class: 15 tenns strength, full of testosteron and brimming with peer pressure. Among them, the teacher was an enemy by default. To demonstrate their "cool" attitudes and my helplessness in dealing with them, they would have this ritual of getting up with a big bang of wooden revolving-chairs and rush out of the class before me whenever the class would come to an end. I never said anything until one day when I performed an ironic courtsey and said loud and clear, with a broad smile on my face: "But of course, ladies first!" and left room for them to pass. Not only did they let me go through first, but no one ever came out of that class before me again - not before asking for permission!
Frankly, I must admit that there are two sides of every coin, and I must bring forth an observation that would round my viewpoint. While ironical statements and sarcasm could be used to pinpoint aspects that could be corrected, it often happens that they are employed to undermine the child's self-esteem. That's not education through laughter, that's a crime! No sensible person wants to belittle anyone, and an educator (teacher or parent alike) should make no confusion here!
What's laughter but a wave of positivity? And who is "too positive" or "positive enough" nowadays?! Hence I maintain that it can make a powerful tool as long as we know how to use it sensibly to solve (not create!) behavior problems with our beloved yet rebellious children - and especially teens!
Well, I hate to be the messenger whom some will perhaps want to shoot, but the answer is NO! That's HOME, preferably the first 7 years, when the parents (yes, that's correct, the parents) negotiate with the child the limits and boundaries they'll follow through their entire life. That's the time when things are put into perspective: what is good and what is harmful to self, to others, responsibilities, curiosities, basic values, cultural influences and the sought-after privileges and rewards! Only then does the schooling system (which could be improved pretty much everywhere, I am sure we'll all agree here) come to take this dough, add the spices of knowledge, put it into molds and bake it on slow fire. If your dough is not well kneaded, ladies and gentlemen, don't expect the cookie to come out great!
But I digress... I am not really interested in the conventional and much too serious (to be read as sad) understanding of education many a school have - it's simply not my style. I am not interested in the light approach either : we do what we wish and we wish to do nothing! How much fun! Huh??!! No, my focus is laughter as a means of education.
To detail this point of view, I'll return to sweet childhood times when days would be marked, noted and remembered by the naughty stuff I could be relied upon to pull through! Surely, this added quite a bit of spice to my mother's life. There are funny memories - such as the detailed research into the origin of the cartoons by scientifically banging the TV to the floor (age 5) to climbing the table so as to escape the monsters that might have crept into the house after dark (throughout childhood) to writing on the walls (doesn't everyone?!) - and dire consequences they inevitably entailed.
Needless to say that poor mom tried her best to make nice, civilised beings out of a couple of small monsters. Since the child's rights were not applicable in our time and age, but were instead replaced by a long tradition of wise sayings like "where mom hits it will grow" or "beating is descended from heaven" (originating from the wonderful times when angelic fathers (priests) were educating our youth :D) the repercusions of our acts of demonic creativity were bountifully rewarded. And this to such an extent that at a certain point in time any type of forceful reinforcement of discipline and reason was utterly ineffective and would inevitably end in "I'm not hurting... tralalalalala..." and some tongue made visible to spite the agressor.
Therefore mom soon understood that strategy needed to be changed. After a phase of emotional blackmail called "talking to the child as if they were an adult" which worked only if employed sparingly, mom turned to the ultimate weapon: laughter.
Here she discovered gold. From then onwards, everything was sorted out with funny or ironic comments that would always bring about laughter. We were practically taught the core values by studying our behavious and being made aware in a funny manner whenever something was wrong. In addition to that, no experience was spared its educational character. For instance, when a neighbour child would not say hello to someone they knew, the fellon was a "queen"/ "king" and "her/his Majesty's" nose was "up in the clouds"! How uncool! Who would want to be referred to in such derisive terms? Of course my sister and I might have been fellons in the past too! But we would never be fellons again in the future - and that's what's important.
A more recent memory refers to my experience as an educator, in my first year of teaching. One of the highschool groups I was teaching was part of a football (soccer) team and it was a boys-only class: 15 tenns strength, full of testosteron and brimming with peer pressure. Among them, the teacher was an enemy by default. To demonstrate their "cool" attitudes and my helplessness in dealing with them, they would have this ritual of getting up with a big bang of wooden revolving-chairs and rush out of the class before me whenever the class would come to an end. I never said anything until one day when I performed an ironic courtsey and said loud and clear, with a broad smile on my face: "But of course, ladies first!" and left room for them to pass. Not only did they let me go through first, but no one ever came out of that class before me again - not before asking for permission!
Frankly, I must admit that there are two sides of every coin, and I must bring forth an observation that would round my viewpoint. While ironical statements and sarcasm could be used to pinpoint aspects that could be corrected, it often happens that they are employed to undermine the child's self-esteem. That's not education through laughter, that's a crime! No sensible person wants to belittle anyone, and an educator (teacher or parent alike) should make no confusion here!
What's laughter but a wave of positivity? And who is "too positive" or "positive enough" nowadays?! Hence I maintain that it can make a powerful tool as long as we know how to use it sensibly to solve (not create!) behavior problems with our beloved yet rebellious children - and especially teens!
Posts
hey i totally agree with your point of view, but there's only one drawback! a sense of humor is not an acquired thing, but mostly innate, so those of us who do not naturally see the funny side of things are unable to educate this way no matter how much we want to! i'm not always in a good enough mood, you see? lol, but your post has brought back amazing memories, and i shall definitely try harder in future! :)
ReplyDeleteI am glad I managed to put a smile on your face for now. As for education through laughter not applying to everyone because of their innate predisposition, let us argue about that when we have kids :D Looks like today's generation does not give one much alternative!
ReplyDelete