English teachers, members of the cult of fanatical seriousness in higher education, need to discover the fundamental comedy of life, as several recent writers have. (DD)

A mild satire on a part of the English teacher's occupation. (Author)

Suggests, on a humorous note, a game-plan for assignment justification and elaboration that utilizes, in a constructive and professional manner, the best of what is known about assignment-making. (EL)

Explains how puns work and how they are formed. (RL)

Recounts a childhood experience that helped develop a sense of delight in an author's choice of diction. (EL)

Gives humorous advice for parents interested in helping their children write term papers, such as making sure to understand the footnote and bibliography forms because kids can get pretty annoyed at being marked down on parents' typing. (EL)

Offers tongue-in-cheek rules for being a humorless English teacher. (RL)

An English teacher describes her feelings, experiences, and attitudes about keeping humor in the classroom. (RL)

Examines the nature of humor and jokes. Considers the benefits of humor in public moments. Analyzes aspects of humor that may determine its efficacy. (HB)

Recounts an experience with a "stage prop" bomb made by the art department for a high school production of John Patrick's play, "Anybody Out There?" (EL)

Indicates some of the pitfalls of using humor in the high school English classroom. Notes the need for striking a balance between serious and humorous classroom discussion. (RL)

Presents responses from 22 teachers on activities used to increase student awareness of language usage and language patterns and to heighten student appreciation for specific works of literature. (RL)

Compares the effects of different types of humor in the classroom: humor drawn from literature, humor at the expense of literature, humor that puts someone down, humor that builds up or shapes identity, and humor as a classroom-management tool. Shows how teachers can use laughter as a conduit for students to find humor in what they read and write.…

Describes the wide variety of personal statements and "mini-poems" on personalized license plates. Suggests that having students collect such statements might be a way of teaching them about the creative potential of language. (EL)

Four teachers discuss benefits of humor and the disadvantages of sarcasm. Includes a humorous piece on teaching cheating in the classroom. (EL)