| This thesis examines the role of classroom humor when it is used to reach middle-level students as they face new educational stressors along with the age-old stressors of adolescence. Freud promoted a deeper study of humor because of its ability to make people feel comfortable: "[T]he main character of wit-making is to set free pleasure by removing inhibitions" (Freud, 1938, p. 724). Humor has power. It has, as Freud explains, "a peculiar, overwhelming, fascinating charm" (p.638). The question this thesis raises is how or if middle-level teachers can use its power to reach out to struggling adolescents. Given what is known about the connection between relationships and learning, the researcher assumes that the classroom is essentially a place to form significant relationships that will enable the students to succeed. According to Comer (1988), only when that happens can a student get past his or her external and internal stressors to form the necessary bond with school. Overall, research suggests that humor can play an integral role in the following aspects of education: teacher likeability, classroom atmosphere, anxiety-reduction, and student engagement. This thesis describes the role of humor over a semester in two middle-level English classrooms. The research considers the specific educational and social needs of adolescents and explores the role of classroom humor in meeting those needs. The participants are experienced teachers who have indicated that their use of humor is central to creating meaningful connections with students. The following research questions guide this project: What qualities do two self-identified humorous teachers share? What role does humor play in creating and maintaining significant relationships with middle-level students with the two participants over the course of the study? The results of the study, in the form of interviews, conversations, and observations, are used to create a rich description of humor in two middle-level classrooms, focusing particularly on the intentional use of humor in the creation of successful relationships with students. |
