But it just occurred to me that we could also look for ways to channel another of children's natural drives for our purposes: silliness.
Here's a list of techniques which I have thought of:
When taking turns reading, ask the class clown to dramatize.
When it came his turn today, the class clown gave a histrionic delivery. I said, "Hey, you're a good reader! You must be smarter than you act!"
That was the incident which started me thinking along this tangent.
Reward the class clown for good behavior by allowing him or her to entertain the class.
On a day when your lesson plan runs out 15 minutes before the bell rings, the class clown might turn out to be your best friend!
Allow the class clown to reinforce new terms with puns.
You remember Baron Von Steuben, the German general whom we borrowed for the Revolutionary War? I had a classmate whose last name was Baron, and he didn't seem to mind being called "Baron Von Stupid."
Allow the class clown to write, narrate, or dramatize a a sillified version of the lesson.
There are several places you can look to for inspiration. I remember reading a book entitled something like "The Rise and Fall of Practically Everybody." I also liked Art Buchwald's Thanksgiving editorial about Kilometres Diboutish, who might have been the French counterpart of Miles Standish.
Anyone got any other ideas?
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