Guffaw.

I love the word "guffaw."  I haven't used it in awhile, but right now I'm doing a unit on comedy with my 8th grade English class, and it came up.  I love it.  Every time I say it or write it, I can't help but think of Goofy.

And as fate would have it, the very first video that popped up tonight when I went to search for an example of Goofy's laughter was actually an old short cartoon called "Teachers Are People."

How hilariously coincidental.  Later on in this post I was planning on talking about how I need to bring more humor into everything, especially into my job.  I find myself taking it way too seriously, even when we are studying comedy!  I get so wrapped up in the plans and the deadlines that I forget that school also needs to be enjoyed.

This clip made me laugh, and also made me realize that I am definitely not the only teacher in history to feel completely frazzled and helpless on certain days.  This clip in particular is a very accurate summary of my first year experience with teaching:




Oh Teacher Goofy, you are not alone.  I think this might be a perfect clip to show to my students so I can illustrate how humor is often created out of the everyday problems we experience in our lives.  Think they'd get it?  (By the way, I also love how much they used to get away with in cartoons: grenades, weapons in the pockets of children, kids blowing up schools... you wouldn't see that today.  Old cartoons are the best.)

Anyhoo, as a part of the unit, my students have been narrowing down what they consider to be their own sense of humor.  I've decided I'm going to do that, too.  So, in a much more uplifting post compared to my recent ones, here is a list of things that make me laugh:

• Old cartoons and Goofy. - See above.
• The faces people make at themselves in mirrors when they think no one is looking. - Dyke sucks in his cheeks and then denies that he was doing it.  I catch him every time.
• Jazz hands in unfitting situations. - I have a group of kids I hang out with after school, and now every time we greet each other and say goodbye we fade away from each other with jazz hands (also known as "spirit fingers").  It's pretty random and great.
• Funny words. - Examples: guffaw, poot, burp, pickle loaf.
• Retro pictures. - I was a particularly fat, large-headed child who always looked confused.  Note the close-up Easter picture below:

(If ANYONE told my mom, "Oh, your baby is so cute!" I'm sure they were thinking something different.  

I look like I'm going to eat someone.)

• Embarrassing moments - These of course are always more humorous after the fact...like, when a boy accidently pulled down my stirrup leggings in 3rd grade when he was trying to get past me on the slide.  DON'T MESS WITH THE STIRRUP LEGGINGS.  Those things were fierce.  I think he realized his mistake when he was suddenly facing my bare ass.
• Laughter out of complete desperation - This is the best type of laughter.  It's when you are so exhausted and out of energy that all you can do is throw your hands in the air and let the ridiculousness of it all take over.  In 8th grade, my friend Ryan and I had just finished writing the graduation speech when something happened and the entire thing was deleted.  We were at school late working on it, and my mom was upstairs in her classroom doing paperwork.  We were so helpless at that point that we went crazy and started acting out a scary movie in the hallways, and then running outside to the parking lot and jumping around in a downpour of rain.  All while laughing of course.  THAT was the best.

I've experienced a lot of laughter in my life, and I experience a little more every day.  I'm very lucky.  I'll have to add more to this list later because it was a lot of fun.  Until then, adios.

By the way, what the hell is Goofy supposed to be anyway?

Peace,

Kelly