teach. pray. - Searching for Laughter
Over the past year or so, I've been working on rediscovering my faith, finetuning my beliefs, living in the moment, and being patient. I've been fairly successful, and with all good things, they are a work in progress. During this faith, belief, present, patient process, I've made a stark observation. I've let go of the fun and the humor in life. I find myself being serious and reflective pretty much 100% of the time. I've gotten so focused on the seriousness of life that I've turned my back on the humor. And, we all know, laughter is good for the soul, so if I'm doing soul work, I should be laughing a lot more. Instead, I'm laughing a lot less.
My husband often teases me and tells me I don't know how to laugh or take a joke anymore. And, though, I know he's teasing, it strikes this very sensitive chord inside me. I try to smile or giggle off the comment, or I try to be sarcastic about it, but the problem is I actually feel like I don't know how to joke about things anymore. I actually feel like my sense of humor has diminished to this minuscule particle of my being, so I take it personally, which is so polar opposite of what I need to do. And, I know this, yet it's so hard.
Now, I've set a new goal, since I'm doing ok on the faith, beliefs, present, and patient stuff. My new goal is to be aware and find the humor in life. Laugh again and stop taking everything in life so damn seriously.
The first step I took was to listen to comedians to and from work a couple times a week rather than music, books, or podcasts. And, well, that got kind of weird, because the comedians I think are funny are often inappropriate and their jokes float through my head while I'm teaching fifth graders, and well, that's not really ideal in certain situations.
Then, I decided to attempt not analyzing everything. And, well, let's say I have a LONG way to go.
Then, I decided to start in my classroom, because I spend a whole lotta time there, and kids are funny. Plus, funny is engaging.
I started really listening to kids when they think I'm not listening and paying attention to their behavior when they think I'm not paying attention. I've learned I have a few natural comedians.
Just today this conversation happened.
Student 1: I'm single now. But, that's ok, because I get girls all the time. *giggles and red-faced hides head in arms*
Student 2: *blurting loudly* I don't!!
Class laughs.
Situation number two:
The class is quiet playing a silent round of Quizlet Live. A little boy passes gas...very loud gas. Everyone burst into laughter.
The young lady sitting behind him silently and ever so politely stands and walks to the other side of the room. When I look at her and smile, she replies, "I'm sorry. I just couldn't sit through that."
I've also started ending our busy school days with 2-3 minute dance parties. And, if you want something entertaining, I say try it. With time, even the quiet shy ones that usually sit back and watch, start dancing and coming out of their shells. Heck, they even had me doing backbends today.
To add a little motivation to use academic speech/vocabulary when answering questions, I allow them to stand on chairs and tables, but only if they use academic speech. You should've seen their faces when I stood on the table for the first time. Minds were blown.
And, you'd think to stand on two wooden stairs in front of the class to share their writing was a brand new idea. They get so giddy. Plus, they get to share their free writing pieces, and uh, free writing is a must do. Personalities take form. We've laughed so hard at some of their stories.
I share all of these classroom shenanigans to simply say, sometimes we have to step outside the box we're comfortable in because what's waiting for us on the other side of the boundaries is a full fun life, and we're letting the fun life swirl all around us as long as we keep standing in that box.
Stepping outside that box of comfort and conformity is challenging for some of us. It's challenging for me. But, I have to start somewhere, or I'm never going to find my laughter again. I started in my classroom in the midst of ten-year-olds, because who's more immature and silly than a bunch of 10-year-olds? Now, I just have to let down my serious adult guard and release my inner child as I skip around this ever so sensitive world we're living in.
Imagine a world of people who laughed together like a classroom full of 10-year-olds.
My husband often teases me and tells me I don't know how to laugh or take a joke anymore. And, though, I know he's teasing, it strikes this very sensitive chord inside me. I try to smile or giggle off the comment, or I try to be sarcastic about it, but the problem is I actually feel like I don't know how to joke about things anymore. I actually feel like my sense of humor has diminished to this minuscule particle of my being, so I take it personally, which is so polar opposite of what I need to do. And, I know this, yet it's so hard.
Now, I've set a new goal, since I'm doing ok on the faith, beliefs, present, and patient stuff. My new goal is to be aware and find the humor in life. Laugh again and stop taking everything in life so damn seriously.
The first step I took was to listen to comedians to and from work a couple times a week rather than music, books, or podcasts. And, well, that got kind of weird, because the comedians I think are funny are often inappropriate and their jokes float through my head while I'm teaching fifth graders, and well, that's not really ideal in certain situations.
Then, I decided to attempt not analyzing everything. And, well, let's say I have a LONG way to go.
Then, I decided to start in my classroom, because I spend a whole lotta time there, and kids are funny. Plus, funny is engaging.
I started really listening to kids when they think I'm not listening and paying attention to their behavior when they think I'm not paying attention. I've learned I have a few natural comedians.
Just today this conversation happened.
Student 1: I'm single now. But, that's ok, because I get girls all the time. *giggles and red-faced hides head in arms*
Student 2: *blurting loudly* I don't!!
Class laughs.
Situation number two:
The class is quiet playing a silent round of Quizlet Live. A little boy passes gas...very loud gas. Everyone burst into laughter.
The young lady sitting behind him silently and ever so politely stands and walks to the other side of the room. When I look at her and smile, she replies, "I'm sorry. I just couldn't sit through that."
I've also started ending our busy school days with 2-3 minute dance parties. And, if you want something entertaining, I say try it. With time, even the quiet shy ones that usually sit back and watch, start dancing and coming out of their shells. Heck, they even had me doing backbends today.
To add a little motivation to use academic speech/vocabulary when answering questions, I allow them to stand on chairs and tables, but only if they use academic speech. You should've seen their faces when I stood on the table for the first time. Minds were blown.
And, you'd think to stand on two wooden stairs in front of the class to share their writing was a brand new idea. They get so giddy. Plus, they get to share their free writing pieces, and uh, free writing is a must do. Personalities take form. We've laughed so hard at some of their stories.
I share all of these classroom shenanigans to simply say, sometimes we have to step outside the box we're comfortable in because what's waiting for us on the other side of the boundaries is a full fun life, and we're letting the fun life swirl all around us as long as we keep standing in that box.
Stepping outside that box of comfort and conformity is challenging for some of us. It's challenging for me. But, I have to start somewhere, or I'm never going to find my laughter again. I started in my classroom in the midst of ten-year-olds, because who's more immature and silly than a bunch of 10-year-olds? Now, I just have to let down my serious adult guard and release my inner child as I skip around this ever so sensitive world we're living in.
Imagine a world of people who laughed together like a classroom full of 10-year-olds.
Comments
Post a Comment