Unlike gender, humor is binary. Something is funny or not.
In most higher education settings, students and instructors self-assign a gender classification. Humorists don’t have that luxury. Others decide their funny label.
Judging classroom humor by humor’s binary standard is a mistake. The educational setting significantly changes humor expectations, and funny serves other purposes than getting laughs.
The binary bar for educators is whether humor promotes learning or not. The quality of the funny ain’t the endgame – it’s enhancing student learning.
Lame never works for a humorist because of humor’s pass-fail grading system. In the classroom, however, lame can be a powerful and effective tool for promoting learning.
Any humor attempt, especially in the sterile setting of remote learning, will be appreciated by students. The occasional and appropriate use of instructional humor sends a clear message to students – the teacher is busting butt to make the learning experience more enjoyable.
When I wear my humor cape, I try to maximize the funny. In every bit, gag, and joke, the goal is the same – get more laughs and earn the label of “funny.”
When I put on my Land’s End imitation tweed sportscoat, I dumb down the humor. My inner clown sheds a tear after I weaken a gag and fail the binary humor standard. Yet, my students remember the material, not the funny, which means I’m worthy of wearing tweed, perhaps even real tweed.
