Adding Humor to Your Presentation

by Jim Snack

Humor is a valuable tool for establishing a climate conducive to learning in a classroom. Appropriate and timely humor in your program can foster mutual openness and respect and contribute to overall communication effectiveness. Humor can take many forms, including:

· jokes

· riddles

· puns

· funny stories

· humorous comments

· cartoons

· top ten lists

· comic verse

Here are two simple ways to use humor in a presentation:

1. To Introduce Yourself - Use a top ten list to introduce yourselves to the participants, "top ten things you should know about your presenter"

2. As an ice breaker or to reduce stress and facilitate creativity - Have participants share their "goofiest moment as a _________."

Keep in mind threee things when you add humor to your program:

· Humor is most effective when it is appropriate to the situation and reflects the personality of the presenter.

· The appropriate use of humor is a powerful tool to build a sense of community, promote creativity, and reduce conflict. Judicious use of humor by the presenter sets people at ease and reduces the inherent inequity of the status relationship

· In contrast, inappropriate use of humor creates a hostile learning environment that quickly stifles communication and self-esteem.




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