Let them Laugh

I like laughter. I use to be embarrassed to laugh because I say "teee! heee!" and I can laugh pretty loud at times. But then I heard someone snort and I realized that my laugh wasn't so bad after all.

I like to collect laughs. Not like someone would stamps or coins... or (I don't know)... PEZ dispensers, but I like to hear others laugh. I sometimes consider myself funny. Sometimes I don't intend to be funny, but people around me are laughing... and saying that I am funny. (Shrug)

So why am I talking about laughter? What does this have to do with the writing center? It is because I have a question: is it okay to make students I tutor laugh?! Is it okay that I laugh?

I guess to answer my own question, it depends. It depends on what is funny. Am I making fun of the writing?--- never... or at least not until the student laughs at it first. Am I making fun of the student? no--- I wouldn't make fun of someone intentionally. --- So, is it okay that I laugh in tutoring sessions?

Yesterday, Kelley asked me how I manage to get students to laugh in my sessions. (Shrug) I don't know--- is that a bad thing? or is it a good thing to make those I tutor laugh? (Like in wizard of oz, “are you a good witch, or a bad witch?”) Is it a good method or a bad method to laugh in sessions?

Katie said she envied one of my sessions because we were laughing the entire time. Yeah, we were having fun, and yeah--- I felt like the session went well. So, maybe it is okay to laugh in sessions. Besides, laughing is so much fun. I laugh when I am uncomfortable, when I’m happy: I laugh whenever. I think that that laughter is a way of communication. If I am laughing in a session, it could convey the message that this is fun stuff that we’re talking about. It can also convey that, yeah, I know that it can be uncomfortable to talk about your own writing; I get that. But---see me laughing?--- it’s okay; you’re gonna be okay. Writing is fun. Why not let them laugh?