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I couldn't put this piece down from the moment I saw the title. I was sucked in by the first funny story-so real, such a scene. As a preschool teacher, Sarah Smidl describes her reflection on the moment: her brief struggle for control, for propriety, and then relenting to join in wholeheartedly to joy. Sarah writes from her soul, and this is why this piece on children's humor jumps off the page. Even as young children are learning how to behave, they are constantly poking fun.
Good, full, round laughter shared together does create community. As Sarah says, humor often arises from children's impetus to connect. Laughter also marks children's accomplishments and surprise when things are not as they expect. Sarah's teacher research on humor offers a comprehensive view of the topic, while providing creative ways to examine everyday practical questions. Her richly represented voice and ample evidence from her teaching answers questions about children's social, physical, and cognitive development through laughter. Early childhood teachers can make joy a part of daily practice.
-Barbara Henderson
The Chair Incident
It was morning snack time in the classroom that I shared with seven wily and sticky toddlers. As I waited for the next cup of milk to topple over, Tessa, who was 2 years and 4 months old, tentatively put down her spoon, pushed back her chair from the table, turned it around, sat back down and began to giggle. I put on my furrowed-eyebrow teacher face and said, "Tessa, please sit correctly at snack time." To my surprise, she continued to sit unwaveringly on her backwards chair, the laughter building up like the fizz in a dropped bottle of pop ready to gush out the top once opened. This time I deepened my voice, made squinty eyes for greater impact, and declared, "Tessa, you neeeeed to sit correctly at snack time." She sat committedly, still staring at me with tenacious brown eyes, now squealing with raucous glee. Dumbfounded, I waited to see what would happen. Gradually, one-by-one, the other six toddlers pushed back their chairs. They turned them around, two hesitant and smiling, the others erect and screeching with laughter.
As teachers of young children, we strive to teach them how to think, learn, and...