feature
Still, like any tool, humor can be mis- used and cause a lot of harm. Almost all laughter comes at someone’s expense. Being laughed at hurts. I have memories of classroom teachers who thought they were being playful, but who said things that were quite hurtful and insensitive. At every school reunion I hear more stories about teachers who used humor to laugh at a classmate, rather than using it to get the whole class laughing together.
I said before, almost all laughter comes at someone’s expense. The exception is verbal humor, for example, excessive rhyming, excessive alliteration or puns are funny without causing collateral dam- age. (I can’t prove this, but it’s true: The reason people groan at puns – and we’ve been doing this since at least the age of Plato – is that there has to be an element of pain in humor. Groaning is how pain is added, thus making humor possible.) If, in the course of a lesson, you find it fun to say something like “Oconomowoc,” or difficult to say, “shoulder surgery,” the whole class can have fun together, if you’re willing to model glee. The congre- gation I currently serve is in Sarpy County, Nebraska. I say “Sarpy County” every chance I get. You should too. I dare you not to smile when saying “Sarpy County.”
Humor also depends on context, or shared experience. No joke or quip is funny ev- erywhere. The witty observation my ethics professor made in seminary about sin, for example, would go over like a lead balloon in your band rooms. You got to know the territory. I have found professionally that I can always make jokes about myself, my congregation, my denomination.
It is wise to identify who can be the targets of jokes in your context. Publishers who use too small a font? The individuals who design these music stands? You want any target for humor to be remote. Avoid us- ing other school colleagues; first, because they are too easy a target and second because they have feelings too. Likewise, administrators should be off limits. You should model respect, especially for those who control class scheduling and school parking.
Wisconsin School Musician
It may seem like a paradox, but teachers who can acknowledge and laugh at their mis- takes are more trustworthy than those who try to appear as never making a mistake. Still, kids can be brutal if you show too much vulnerability; I remember how I behaved in middle school. (I am sorry, Miss Burnett.)
In the upheaval of the COVID-age, please hold onto the passion that led you to music education. You have special gifts and abilities that help you connect with students that teachers in other disciplines do not have. The most profound insight I
received in a decade of marching behind a trombone is this: You play music; you don’t work music. In normal times you get to play music together. Perhaps now the best thing you can do is to stay con- nected to your students, do what you can to nurture those relationships remotely. And look ahead to when you will know and feel the joy of playing together… and playing music together, too.
Reverend Doctor Thomas Willadsen resides in La Vista, Nebraska. Email:
thomaswilladsen2@gmail.com
Wisconsin Foundation for School Music
President:
Rich Appel, Superintendent, School District of Horicon President-Elect:
Steve Plank, Superintendent, Burlington Area School District Past President:
Richard Parks, Superintendent, School District of Marathon Treasurer:
Bernie Fiedler, CFP, Whitewater Board of Trustees:
Gregg Butler, Administrator, Eau Claire, County Off Campus High School Mark Hoernke, Principal, Poynette High School Steve Michaels, Superintendent, Westby Area School District Peggy Ryan, Principal, St. Croix Falls High School Heidi Eliopoulos, Superintendent, School District of Altoona
Dan Wolfgram, Principal, Manawa Middle School and Little Wolf High School
Members at Large:
Stephanie Elkins, Program Director, Wisconsin Public Radio Sarah Jerome, Retired, Arlington Heights School District
Staff:
Laurie Fellenz, Executive Director •
lfellenz@wsmamusic.org Kerrie Brey, Finance Manager •
breykl@wsmamusic.org
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