The healing power of laughter and letting go: Hooray For Monday

February 1, 2021

By Aleta Margolis, Founder and President, Center for Inspired Teaching

Hooray for Monday is a weekly blog filled with questions, ideas, reflections, and actions we can all take to remodel the school experience for students.

Last week, about an hour into a Zoom meeting, I looked into my frame and caught a glimpse of the giant bag of dog treats and two upside-down wine glasses drying on the kitchen counter behind me. After a few not so subtle attempts to rotate my laptop to show a less embarrassing backdrop, I decided to let it go, and be OK with everyone on the call witnessing my kitchen counter in its full glory.

In fact, once I accepted the reality that I was framed by dog treats, I thought, “If I’d done this on purpose, it would be impressively funny!” followed by, “Did we really need to buy a ten-pound bag of dog treats for our ten-pound dog?” and then, “Why am I giving my dog treats but not myself? Oh, wait! The wine glasses…”

And then I started laughing. Right there in the middle of my Very Important Zoom Meeting.

In reflecting back on that moment, I’m pretty sure laughter wasn’t my first response. Initially, I’d felt annoyed at whichever family member had neglected to clean the kitchen counter (it might have been me!) and worried that the others on my call would think of me as less than professional. At some point, however, I must have chosen a different direction; I must have decided to let go and enjoy the moment.

Laughter reminds us of our humanity, our fallibility, and our capacity to experience joy. Much has been written about the science of why we laugh. In my observation, laughter tends to hit when we encounter an unexpected spin on a familiar topic. My daughter Isabel, a satirical comedian, has taught me how to laugh at such somber topics as anti-maskers, de-motivational sunsets, Edgar Allan Poe, and cereal.

Isabel has also taught me that the best comedians strive to connect, not divide, their audience. They avoid cheap shots like mocking people’s appearance or insulting someone with less social status. (Turns out all those male comedians who opened their stand-up sets with, “Take my wife. Please!” weren’t that clever.)

When we laugh at ourselves, we’d be wise to follow the same approach. At its best, laughing at ourselves is an acknowledgment of the humor in our unpredictable, imperfect, but also wondrous lives.

How can we laugh at ourselves without putting ourselves down? Could self-laughter even lift us up? If you want to explore these questions, here are some things to try:

Check out laughter yoga.
Once we start laughing, even if we don’t know why at first, we get caught up in the experience. We are compelled to breathe more deeply. We vocalize, and feel the vibrations of our voices in our hearts and rib cages, and in our brains and bones. We lose control while feeling our power.
Be a laughter detective . . .
Look for laughter in everyday events. Can you find someone who is laughing at the grocery store? On your morning walk? In the car next to you at a red light? Maybe you’ll even spot someone quietly giggling on your next Zoom meeting. What about in your classroom?
. . . Especially in the classroom.
Do your students laugh? If so, why? Are they uncomfortable? Are they putting someone down? Are they experiencing actual joy? What do you do when your students begin to laugh? How can you incorporate kind and uplifting laughter into your students’ school day?
Take notes.
Next time you find yourself laughing, pay attention to what is going on in your body. Laughter makes us give up some control. It relaxes us and boosts endorphin production. It often brings up feelings. Notice what happens to your body and mind next time you laugh.
Spread the word.
Tell your students about a time you did something ridiculous and chose to laugh about it. Then encourage them to find opportunities to laugh, gently, at themselves.

The new normal of video conferencing provides a shared stage for all of us, young and old, no matter the profession, to have opportunities for self-laughter because we’re actually seeing ourselves more than ever before.

In my home, the dog treats and wine glasses have been put away, and my kitchen background now consists of a tasteful and appropriate leafy plant over my left shoulder and a clean counter over my right. Still, I’m looking forward to the next time I get to laugh kindly at myself.

This week, may you find a moment of levity in your own video screen, or in the flotsam and jetsam around you that signify life in progress.

Micaiah Anderson

Community Outreach Specialist

As a Community Outreach Specialist, Micaiah is responsible for program promotion and outreach support for Inspired Teaching events and workshops. Micaiah has a passion for collaborating with community members to build-power and connect. She is an educator with a heart for youth and has experience supporting students fight injustices within their schools and communities. She has a BA in Political Science from, the real HU, Hampton University & anticipates graduating in May 2024 with a Masters of Arts degree in Educational Policy Transformation from Georgetown University.

AUTONOMY

"I want to have a say in what happens to me."

Autonomy is the need for independence; the ability to make choices, to create, to explore, and to express oneself freely; to have sufficient space, to move around, and to feel unrestricted with opportunities to exercise free will.

Brady Maiden

Outreach Coordinator

As the Outreach Coordinator, Brady helps maintain Inspired Teaching’s social media presence and supports the organization’s mission to connect with DC community leaders, educators, and parents. Brady has her Master’s in Public Policy from George Mason University and her BS in Political Science from Northern Arizona University. She is passionate about community, equity, and coalition building recognizing that learning and growing with the community at large is how we continue to be impactful.

What brings you joy in life?

I find joy in spending time with my friends and family and meeting new people. I like going to concerts and festivals, and finding new books to read.

The Learner’s Cycle, Wonder-Experiment-Learn, and the Teacher’s Cycle, Observe-Plan-Instigate, comprise Inspired Teaching’s approach to engaging students in inquiry-based learning.

When they are engaged in the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, students are immersed in learning. They take the lead in designing authentic learning experiences around their own interests and their school’s standards of learning. Each discovery leads to a new question which in turn leads to more wondering and more learning. In the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, Learn is not a destination or an endpoint; it is a deeper understanding, leading to a deeper wondering and new possibilities that create new entry points to further exploration. The cycle continues because what students have learned generates more wonderings that require more experiments that foster more learning – and on and on.

The Observe-Plan-Instigate Cycle is the work of an Inspired Teacher. While a student is expected to follow the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, the teacher joins them on the learning journey while following their own cycle of Observe-Plan-Instigate. This cycle ultimately serves to ensure an inquiry-based atmosphere is at play in the classroom.

Jaqueta Abbey

Teaching and Learning Specialist

Jaqueta is the Teaching and Learning Specialist for Inspired Teaching. In addition to her current role with Inspired Teaching, Jaqueta is a first-grade teaching assistant. Her background features a variety of traditional and non-traditional experiences in the field of education, including working as an adjunct professor, teaching summer reading programs to children and adults, and tutoring children in the foster care system. Jaqueta earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University.

What brings you joy in life?

Creative self-expression! In addition to my passion for storytelling, I love dancing of all kinds. I've studied belly dance, bachata, and Brazilian Zouk among other styles. I also enjoy glass fusing, crocheting, photography, and cross stitching. These art forms allow me to express myself and build connections with other people at the same time. I think life would be a lot less vibrant without artists and storytellers!

Michelle Welk

Communication & Marketing Specialist

As Communications and Marketing Specialist, Michelle is responsible for finding and creating new ways to highlight Inspired Teaching and promote its programs in order to expand and deepen the organization's impact. Michelle has worked in communications in an array of settings, from creative agencies to state politics to national nonprofits. She has a BA in Journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia and is passionate about education, access, and equity.

What brings you joy in life?

My son, the beach, making a persuasive argument and good food!

Max Peterson

Real World History Assistant Teacher

Max received his Bachelor’s degree in History and African American Studies from Boston University in May 2016. He has worked in museum curation at the Museum of the White Mountains in New Hampshire and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Max has worked with young people of varying ages from young children to young adults transitioning to college.

Feedback and Accountability

We grow through feedback and an understanding that the quality of our work is a reflection of what we are learning, but the shift to remote learning this spring disrupted a lot of the tools teachers were used to using to evaluate student growth. How might we do things differently this fall? Participants in this workshop will explore ways to bring meaningful assessment into the virtual and/or socially-distanced classroom and approaches to student feedback that strengthen motivation, and build relationships and achievement.