Description
Dave Keeling’s Independent Thinking on Laughter: Using humour as a tool to engage and motivate all learners is an uplifting manifesto packed with tips and techniques to help educators unleash the power of humour and laughter in the learning environment.
Foreword by Ian Gilbert.
Education is too important to be taken seriously: everyone in our schools – from the youngest learner to the, ahem, ‘most senior’ teacher – likes to laugh.
And beyond the many stress-busting and morale-boosting benefits that laughter brings on an individual level, the collective rewards of laughter in the classroom setting are also numerous – such as enhancing openness and teamwork, stimulating imagination and creativity and, above all, strengthening the student–teacher relationship.
No one is more familiar with the power of classroom conviviality than ‘stand-up educationalist’ and Independent Thinking Associate Dave Keeling, who in this book takes readers on an enlightening journey into the part that humour can play in improving the learning experience for all concerned.
Writing with his trademark wit, Dave shares handy hints acquired from his experience in the world of comedy and offers a veritable smorgasbord of activities for use with learners – all proven to generate laughter, enhance learning and make the teacher look great.
The teacher’s mission, if they choose to accept it, is to take these ideas and exercises and adapt, enjoy, explore and generally mess about with them to their heart’s content.
An inspiring read for all teachers and educators.
Independent Thinking on Laughter is an updated edition of The Little Book of Laughter (ISBN 9781781350089) and is one of a number of books in the Independent Thinking On … series from the award-winning Independent Thinking Press.
Contents include:
Part I: The World of Humour and Comedy
Chapter 1: Funny Business Is a Risky Business
Chapter 2: What a Sense of Humour Is and How to Define It
Chapter 3: Humour, Curiosity and Playfulness – Being 7 All Over Again
Chapter 4: The Sciencey Bit – It’s Brain Jim, But Not As We Know It
Chapter 5: Your Funny Bone is Connected to Your, Er …
Chapter 6: Only Joking
Chapter 7: Please Be Seated for the Secrets of Stand-Up
Chapter 8: Making It Up As You Go – Improvisation and Teaching
Part II: Improving Learning and Making Everything Better
Chapter 9: Thirty Exercises to Build Rapport, Encourage Spontaneity and Get Their Creative Juices Flowing
Chapter 10: Gagging for More?
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