Perfect quote for teaching....

[MikeB]

"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road."
- H.W. Beecher

I was thinking the other day - well, I think everyday but often times it's not noteworthy - of all we face as teachers. In truth the toll is so heavy that many teachers fall by the wayside and leave the profession while others get sick. I was trying to figure-out what was the best way to cope and why some teachers seem to manage a bit better than others. At about the same time, I came across the above quote. It applies really well to me/my personality and goes a ways to explain why I don't find teaching to be as taxing to me, personally. Thought it might be a revelation to someone.....

Cheers,

[javamomma]

I love it. :)

[orlandoteacher]

Very true! I notice that those with a sense of humor last much longer and that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone!

[creativeteach]

That is so true!

[teach1027]

It is a great thing, we all (teachers) need a great sense of humor, sometimes it is the only thing that gets me through my day.

[bella mundi]

I agree, sometimes having a good sense of humor and readiness to laugh is what keeps me going. I have two paras as well, and we have a kind of short-hand among the three of us and often make each other laugh throughout the day. My students don't know why we're laughing but like it that we are having fun and seem a little bit more motivated. I also have kids with behavior problems, and I've learned that humor sometimes works wonders on them, when all the behavior mod, discipline, and behavior plans fail.

So, yes, laughing is crucial in teaching. There are some times when it's laugh or cry. I almost always choose laugh.

[suzyq07033]

You can't teach highschool without a sense of humor, they'll tear you apart! lol

[kingrichie]

I had a professor who used to say,
"You're not there to be their mother, father, friend or lover. You're there to teach."
Kinda keeps it real.

[becka_kate]

I have a theory that to be a great teacher you have to be a good actor. To not only motivate / entertain, but to be able to not laugh out loud at some of the stuff the kids do. I teach kinder and if you didn't have a sense of humour in my room you wouldn't survive the week. EG today was open day and my little 'treasure' decided to entertain by dancing on tables, kicking everything (luckily not everyone!) in sight and squealling at the top of her lungs. Yay! Just the impression you want to give parents (including new parents who's kids are starting kinder next year!)
Bec
in sydney

[3rdgradeteach]

Humor is what I am made of....If I lost it I would curl up and die as a person....It helps when you are teaching and it keeps life light so that you can deal with other's mistakes as well as your own. If you can laugh at yourself, then you can get through just about anything!

[ginger11]

I have this one posted in my classroom "We are not perfect, but we strive to do our very best."

[leafy seadragon]

You've got to laugh, you can't take it all too seriously or when it gets too hard it'll kill you. I'm famous in the staffroom for saying: "No, I'm not happy today, I'm hysterical" while laughing madly as I quickly gulped down coffee before heading back to my classroom. I've never lived it down.