A university professor and two middle school English teachers weave recent educational research on humor with examples from C.S. Lewis’s Narnia Chronicles to make a compelling case for teaching teachers how to relax and enjoy the wild things in the classroom. Using Lewis’s foundational ideas on the four sources of laughter, they illustrate how children begin to lose their gentle and affiliative laughter through the middle school years, often becoming mean, cruel, and cynical, and then suggest ways to counter the downward trajectory and revive the joy and fun of learning. Practical teaching ‘Tidbits’ dot the pages throughout, like crumbs leading to a happier place for students and teachers. An excellent gift for weary and heavy-laden teachers, and for parents seeking to jollify their own children.
Table of Content
List of Figures xii
Acknowledgements xvi
Introduction 1
C. S. Lewis and Laughter 11
Laughter in Middle School 29
On Joy-Unexpected Gifts of Delight 43
On Fun-Unleashed Pleasures of Play 55
Joke Proper-Ingenuity of Wit and Jests 83
On Flippancy-Descent into Darkness 107
Tricks of the Trade 119
Conclusion 127
Appendix: Zygomatic Exercise Scripted Plan 131
Endnotes 135
Index 155
About the Authors 161
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