Learning is fun. Posters with this platitude are posted all over American high schools. Funny thing is not many people are having fun. During four years of matriculation a student may not ever remember seeing a teacher laugh with or share a joke with a class that isn’t followed by awed silence or misinterpretation. School is a serious matter those words are repeated ad nauseum. Education is a serious matter but the process of attaining knowledge should not be considered a form of torture. Teaching and learning should be fun. Optimum learning takes place in environments that nourish student creativity while maintaining a relaxed atmosphere. Now, that doesn’t mean that the students will be allowed to create chaos. A relaxed classroom is a room with rules and expectations. It is still a place where learning is put first. However, these classrooms also nourish student individual development while allowing students to produce work that is fun and enlightening while allowing them to laugh, chortle, giggle, and even snort. Continue reading →