Monday, December 14, 2015

Article:Why a Classroom of Laughter Is a Good Thing!

1:50 PM    


A recent article highlights the importance of laughter in a classroom - something Thames Academy instructors have realized and practice daily!

Laughter creates genuine connections between instructors and students and helps to eliminate stress and anxiety - two barriers which can be counterproductive to learning.

For example, Jennifer Sullivan's Introduction to Sociology class was encouraged to submit an assignment for extra credit points on their final exam (held on Thursday, Dec. 10). The assignment was a creative one. Students could choose any song they liked but need to rewrite the lyrics to include something relevant to the sociological concepts we discussed in class. Sounds difficult?

Thames students who opted to do this assignment chose songs such as:

"Paradise" by Coldplay
"Heard it Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye
"Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's
"Hello" by Adele
"You Don't Know You're Beautiful" by One Direction
"TNT" by ACDC

Jennifer Sullivan, sociology instructor, created lyrics to a song many will know. Enjoy!!

 Lyrics to the tune of “Let It Go”

The building is bright in the classrooms tonight, not a video game to be seen.
The students are all cramming, such a sight to be seen.
Their brains are swirling with race and ethnicity,
They’ve got to keep it in, full of remembering…..

Don’t let them fail, you’ve got to make them see
They are the smart kids you know that they can be
They are so strong, they are unique,
It’s that day of the week…..

Here we go, here we go
The final exam is here
Here we go, here we go
We want smiles and no-o-o tears
I want A’s, or maybe B’s
This is a teacher’s dream…..students passing the exam with ease.

It’s funny how some teachers dread this exam day,
They wonder if their sleeping students actually remember what they say
It’s time to see what they can do
Know social class and gender too
Strat-if-ication and the rest
Thames students are the best!!!!!!

Here we go, here we go
The testing time is here
Here we go, here we go
My favorite time each year
Time to see what the students know
Let the pencils fly….

Their brain power flurries through the air up to the sky
They know Max Weber, stratification, and Marilyn Frye
Conformity, deviance and narcotizing effect,
They’re never going back,
They’re smarter than the past

Here we go, here we go
The final exam is here
Here we go, here we go
Thursday is the day we hear
“I got an A, or I got a B”
This is a parent’s dream…..my teen is successful at Thames Academy.