T e a c h i n g C la s s C l o w n s

1. TeachingClass Clowns And what they can teach us William Watson Purkey

2. Understanding and Appreciating Class Clowns “School is a rat race, even when you win your still a rat” • Class clowns are not timid • Do not believe everything they are told • Do not do everything they are told • See themselves as vocal leaders • When directly challenged quick to assert themselves in the most creative and ingenious ways

3. “I have never let school interfere with my education” Mark Twain • A critical ingredient in working successfully with class clowns is getting to know them. • Personal attention and long term relationship • Likely to be a beneficial presence in the classroom when they believe they are understood and appreciated. Successful teachers of Class Clowns get results through relationships

4. The Benefits of havingClass Clowns • While the currency of clowns is laughter; cheerfulness is their commodity. • Humor is a wonderful teaching strategy: It can teach concepts and stimulate intellectual development. • Banish boredom, fight monotony, spread sunshine • Teach us to laugh at ourselves. • Laughter is a wonderful safety valve. “The teacher’s ability to monitor and control the classroom social environment is a hallmark of good teaching” Purkey

5. 4 Signature Tendencies of Class Clowns • Investing Class clowns are willing to jump in, take risks, and try new things; willing to take bold risks to live life fully. • Asserting Desire to have as much control as possible over their surroundings – affirmation to claim their own integrity. • Relating Basic liking of people and concern for their welfare – establish connections and relationships with fellow human beings. • Coping One way or another class clowns find ways to successfully cope with life’s challenges. These four signature tendencies offer important clues on how to work successfully with Class Clowns

6. Quality of INVESTING • Class Clowns exhibit a willingness to invest themselves fully in what life has to offer. • Channel the Class Clowns special tendency to invest in worth while school endeavors. • Class Clowns want to have an important role in making things happen. • Great discoveries are often the result of recognizing what others have not seen. • Class Clowns are stimulated creatively they become engaged in the learning process.

7. Application of Capitalizing on INVESTING • Form student triads – place a Class Clownwith two serious-minded classmates to work on a research project. • Show case the Class Clowns abilities: student announcer, video exchange with other schools in other parts of the world. • Form special interest groups. • Two minute commercial on an academic concept. • Delegate responsibilities to Class Clowns,

8. Quality of ASSERTING • Asserting is defined as the ability to establish and fight for one’s dignity and self-respect. • Class Clowns are aware that they have some control over what happens to them. • Class Clowns asserts themselves by challenging authority and maintaining a voice in what is taking place. • Quick to step in and maintain their rights. • They speak up for their own ideas and do not hesitate to stand up to authority.

9. Application of capitalizing on ASSERTING • Practicing wait time is an excellent teaching strategy for maintaining classroom behavior. • Directive must be positive and with a choice – the goals of directive is maximum compliance with minimum effort; politeness is crucial. • Use contracts – involve Class Clownin decisions • Allow stand-up comic route for a good week. • Start the day with “5 happy minutes” • Keep a sense of humor to challenged authority: Palm trees survive hurricanes because they bend without breaking.

10. I do not teach, I relate. -- Michel de Montaigne Life is never so busy that there is no time left for laughter. -- William Watson Purkey Quality of Relating

11. The clown’s upside-down, breezy attitude toward life forms ties between and among individuals. The clown’s funny approach to life gives voice to the meaning and purpose of being human. Human relationships are essential in living a good life. It is hard to imagine anything worse than being totally disconnected from other human beings. Forming connections with other human beings allows us to become part of a larger whole. To a student starving for relationships, one teacher can make a profound difference.

12. Application of capitalizing on relating The ways in which class clowns relate to teachers seems to correlate with how much they believe that others like and respect them. Teachers should take every chance to reach out and form relationships. An essential part of connecting to laugh at yourself. Enjoy life and remember that your students want to enjoy life as well.

13. Class clowns are often able to turn painful things upside down. A weakness becomes a strength. Coping is the ability to learn from experience, to take advantage of situations, and to deal successfully with life’s demands. Quality of coping

14. Application of capitalizing on coping Keep the volcano from erupting. If you are bored as a teacher, it’s probably because you are a boring teacher. Successful teachers of class clowns consider good classroom behavior as a logical result of their ability to involve students actively in their education. Keep them busy! A good response to difficult moments is to get the laughter going.

15. Summary I doubt if there is among us a more useful citizen than the one who holds the secret of banishing gloom, of making tears give way to laughter, of supplanting desolation with despair with hope and courage, for hope and courage always go with a light heart. Franklin D. Roosevelt