I met with Joe Gerzina of the Riverview Intermediate Unit today to discuss my workshop, "How To Tell A Joke."  The workshop is part of the Life After School Conference--helping students to move from high school to employment and success in life. 

How can learning how to tell a joke do that?  

1.  Learning the nuances of humor--tact, timing, and trendiness--will help students be perceived as a positive, rather than a toxic person.  This can improve their relationships with others and help them to succeed in life. 

2.  Recognizing the social skills involved in the timing of when to use humor--that helps students to be aware of what's going on around them.  They can step outside of themselves and listen for cues as to when to jump into the conversation, and with which jokes. 

3.  Merely thinking of humorous possibilities gives students an alternative behavior.  They see that they can make choices:  They don't have to act impulsively--instead, they can conjure up a creative, tactful, and relevant remark. 

What is your favorite joke?  Share it here, www.yourshiningexample.com or you can always tweet it!  trinahess

"Get Your SHINE Together!"