COPYRIGHT NELLIE JACOBS, 2005
Nellie Jacobs
Author. Speaker. Consultant.
www.gradingtheteacher.com
www.nelliejacobs.com
"Humour is more than just telling jokes or being corny. It’s being at ease with the students. It’s being able to laugh with them and perhaps sharing stories related to the issues being taught. " Nellie Jacobs, Grading the Teacher
One of the essential ingredients of a great teacher is a sense of humour. It diffuses tense situations, adds a perspective and can provide comfort in topics that may be difficult. Donna Rouzaud submitted the following story sent by a friend in San Francisco. “He’s originally from Nova Scotia but has been living in the US for many years. …He is quite a storyteller and is great at imitating accents, so it was hilarious when he told us in person.”
Donna's friend and his classmates played this prank on their uptight teacher:
“John Marsters was my high school English teacher. He was a mountain of a man, barrel-chested, ramrod straight in stature, but beneath it all a somewhat humorless man.
“If one of his students rose to answer a question and chose to rest one hand on the desk for support, Mr. Marsters would invariably say, 'Now son, that desk has been there for over fifty years. It’s not necessary for you to support it. Please stand up straight.'
“A few of us decided to test his theory. After school, carefully and methodically, we removed every nut, bolt and screw from the desk of one of his better-behaved students (a young lad named Byron), who would never be suspected of any kind of foolishness. The scene was set.
“English was the first class the following day. As Mr. Marsters entered the classroom, our foil rose to his feet to ask stoic Mr. Marsters a question. Mr. Marsters, noticing that Byron was resting one hand on the desk, repeated his favorite refrain, 'Now Byron, that desk has been there for over fifty years. It’s not necessary for you to support it. Please stand up straight.' As Byron complied with Mr. Marsters’ request, he gently pushed the desk sideways, causing the desk to collapse and crash to the floor in a dozen different pieces.
“Stoic John Marsters smiled.”
Have you ever participated in or witnessed a harmless school prank? Tell us your funny school stories. Click on the "Post a Comment" button below. If you prefer to communicate with me directly, email nellie@nelliejacobs.com with "Class Action" in the subject line.
-Nellie
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1 comment:
I had a lot of great humans err... teachers who used humour to engage us and really to hold our interest.
I had a high school politics teacher who continuously reminded us of his canoe trip outings and likened time spent in the woods with Canadian politics. Granted these tales didn't resonate with all students it certainly did with me and helped me better understand the sometimes difficult workings of the Canadian parliamentary system.
On some occasions he even brought in his guitar to strum a few tunes about politics, canoe tripping, and smoking pine needles...
Funny, I still remember that this many years later...good times.
Great site...
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