NPR – Lee Hale
“Who doesn’t love a class clown? That perfectly timed joke about the ancient Greek poet looking nothing like Homer Simpson is fun for everyone. Unless you’re the teacher … trying to teach a lesson about the Odyssey. As a teacher, the class clown is often your nemesis. I know this from experience: I taught ninth grade last school year. They derail lessons, steal the spotlight and, to make matters worse, sometimes they’re actually funny. It’s not easy enforcing class rules when you’re laughing. What if we looked at class clowns differently? What if, instead of seeing them as a nuisance, we saw them as gifted? A little misguided, sure, but still gifted. That change in perspective can make a huge difference for some students and their teachers.”(more)