SOMETIMES WORK can be boring. Sometimes we have to do something out of the ordinary to break the monotony. Sometimes, it really has to be different that you don’t know what reactions you’d get after doing it.

I don’t crack jokes in the classroom. That would be the last thing I would do, given my inadeptness in throwing punch lines. Joking is made extra difficult by my strict demeanor. People would always expect me to speak of serious stuff. So, my jokes always get unlikely responses.

One time, in my early afternoon class, everyone seemed very sleepy. I needed to do sometime to keep them awake. Out of boredom, I suddenly started speaking with an overdone American accent in the classroom. The next thing I knew, everyone was rolling on the floor. The laughter seemed to never stopped. Everytime I attempted to speak, everyone laughed. I think that was the first my students saw me laugh my heart out.

Now, I can see that they feel at ease everytime they meet me along the corridor.

I realized that it would be better if I do away with my too serious demeanor. I need to loosen up a bit.

What we did last Wednesday was probably all I needed. Now, everyone gives me a smile everytime we meet and I could help but return the favor. Tuesday afternoon, we cooked up something in the faculty room. we decided to perform a surprise number for the school’s foundation anniversary celebration the following day. Fortunately, my co-teachers were cooperative and we were able to come up with simple dance steps to the tune of Poker Face by Lady Gaga.

Here are the videos of our performance:

The students sure had fun watching us, especially our older co-teachers, dance. We, too, had great fun watching the videos recorded by our students. That performance strengthened our relationship as colleagues.