Sometimes when I’m teaching a class, I pretend like I’m hosting a variety show…and by sometimes, I mean always. I think of my lesson plans as “bits,” and when I call on students, I refer to them as “volunteers from the audience.” The only thing missing is a laugh track like sitcoms have, which might be tough to acquire, considering the fact that most of my classrooms don’t even have projectors or speakers. Luckily, my fan club students have to laugh because I’m so funny grading them.
I like to start the show class off with a little anecdote about happenings in my daily life, whether it be a run-in with a drunk neighbor, a homeless man asking for a piece of my hair, or the electrician warning me that my toilet might shock me if I get too close to it. Next semester I’m hoping to implement some sort of dancing entrance (à la Ellen DeGeneres), but for now, story time seems to be working just fine. Then we get down to the lesson for the day, which often involves the parts of speech or a historical account, depending on the course, and–if I’m being 100% honest–usually a segment of Schoolhouse Rock! (because who better to teach the function of conjunctions than THE Conjunction Junction?).
Now my students know better than to mess with me.
If I notice a lull in the class, I quickly get them back on track with something very educational and relevant, such as “WHO WANTS TO SEE MY HIGH SCHOOL PROM PHOTOS?!” (Cue the me me me me me‘s ). “Okay, only if you pay attention to this extremely stimulating article about Irish independence for the next 10 minutes.” Cheerleading pics are also a hit.
As Blog is My Witness 