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Quotable: Make Them Laugh

March 3, 2010
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You have to make them laugh. You must never underestimate the power of laughing in a maths classroom.

— Carol Roberts
quoted in Laughing lesson Adult learning

Or, as Donald O’Conner put it:

I think this is my biggest failing as a teacher: I am too much the straight man.

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from → Quotations
3 Comments leave one →
  1. John Golden permalink
    March 3, 2010 11:33 am

    A good straight man is also a comic. Think George Burns. Letting the students tell the joke and make the punch line is probably better teaching than getting the laugh yourself.

    Best dance scene ever, IMO.

  2. Denise permalink*
    March 3, 2010 1:22 pm

    Ah, but I didn’t say I was a *good* straight man.

  3. ihor Charischak permalink
    March 11, 2010 8:55 am

    Laughing is almost always a good thing. But the laughter could have something to do with illuminating a math concept. Costello’s method of fooling around with place value is one my favorite ways. See my non-youtube version:

    http://bit.ly/aI2hEb

    My lesson plan for it is here: http://bit.ly/9AP9lw

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