Laughter, a Necessity in Any Classroom

Have you ever been in a classroom where the atmosphere is so tension filled that students are afraid to do anything?  Where there are so many rules and regulations that students can not even feel free to think?  Where the environment is so rigid that students feel trapped? Where the idea of enjoying themselves is not even part of the realm of possibilities?

Sometimes as adults we forget that the most basic joy in life is plain and simply joy itself. There is nothing more magical nor joyful than the sound of laughter.  The utter sense of release given up with a burst of pure happiness.  There is a reason that for more than eighty years Reader's Digest has published Laughter is the Best Medicine.

Peter Doskoch wrote about the power of humor in Psycholology Today.  Here are some of the key points of his work:

Laughter

• Loosens up the mental gears and helps us to think more creatively.
• Helps us cope with the difficulties of life.
• Reduces our levels of stress.
• Relaxes us as it lowers our heart rate and blood pressure.
• Connects us with others and helps to eliminate feelings of alienation and inadequacy.
• Releases endorphins, the brain's natural painkillers.