A classic comedy adage says:
“If there’s no corpse, there’s usually no joke.”
In other words, humor almost always attacks something—people, places, ideas, or institutions.
That’s where instructors need to be careful.
In comedy clubs, comedians can push boundaries. In classrooms, the consequences are different. Choose the wrong humor target and you can expect a quick email from someone—a student, a parent, or an administrator.
The safest humor target is always yourself.
Self-deprecating humor avoids offending others and allows students to see the instructor as more human. It lowers barriers and helps build rapport.
Instructors should wear the humor bullseye and fire away.
Personal anecdotes are especially effective. Any “World’s Dumbest Teacher” story is instructional comedy gold. Students enjoy seeing that their professor occasionally does something foolish—it makes them feel smarter and strengthens the classroom connection.
Family stories are another safe target.
One reason people become parents is to improve their Instagram feed—nothing boosts likes like cute kid photos. The second reason is to improve storytelling. Children provide a lifetime supply of humorous material.
In the artificial setting of online learning, humor targets become even more important. Without face-to-face feedback, jokes can easily misfire.
That’s why the safest target in virtual teaching is usually the one sitting in front of the computer camera.
You.
When in doubt, make yourself the punchline.
Students will laugh—and no one will send a complaint email.
