{"id":471,"date":"2025-09-23T13:00:31","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T13:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/?p=471"},"modified":"2025-09-24T03:06:53","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T03:06:53","slug":"ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/","title":{"rendered":"When We Should (and Shouldn\u2019t) Joke Around With Students"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#Students_Who_Dont_Welcome_Humor\" >Students Who Don\u2019t Welcome Humor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#Students_Who_Welcome_Humor\" >Students Who Welcome Humor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#When_Its_Unclear\" >When It\u2019s Unclear<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#%F0%9F%91%8B_Thats_it_for_now\" >\ud83d\udc4b That\u2019s it for now!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>Have you joked around with a student and then noticed that they didn\u2019t look entertained? Or worse, have you ever offended or confused a student with your sense of humor? \ud83d\ude4b<\/p>\n<p>Humor can make or break a tutor-student relationship, so let\u2019s make sure we know how to pick the occasion!<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Students_Who_Dont_Welcome_Humor\"><\/span>Students Who Don\u2019t Welcome Humor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>We can usually figure out whether to use humor during the self-introduction. If a student asks to skip the self-introduction, we can be 99% sure that they won\u2019t appreciate jokes. After all, students like these \u201cmean business\u201d; they want to cover as much material as possible in the 25 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Now, let\u2019s suppose the student <em>does<\/em> want a self-introduction. Use the self-introduction, as always, to gauge the student\u2019s level. If you determine that the student is a beginner, then avoid humor.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-473\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/08\/21061150\/joke-i-come-in-piece.png\" alt=\"ESL EFL beginners won't understand your jokes\" width=\"624\" height=\"429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/08\/21061150\/joke-i-come-in-piece.png 624w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/08\/21061150\/joke-i-come-in-piece-300x206.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Beginners won\u2019t appreciate humor, because they can\u2019t. From student interviews, we know that beginners barely understand what their tutors say in the first few weeks of lessons:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The first lesson was very discouraging. Even though the teacher talked to me patiently, I couldn't understand them.<br \/>\n\u2013 Justin (\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddfc)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>As you can imagine, using humor would make our English even more difficult to understand. So with beginners, let\u2019s stick to simple English and lots of smiling!<\/p>\n<p>Now that we know to avoid humor with beginners and students who skip self-introductions, who <em>can<\/em> we joke around with?<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Students_Who_Welcome_Humor\"><\/span>Students Who Welcome Humor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>During self-introductions, students usually talk about where they live or work. Intermediate and advanced students who live abroad, travel abroad frequently, or work in international settings are usually interested in humor. It can make the difference between having a social life and being a social outcast.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-475\" style=\"font-size: revert; color: initial; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/08\/21061215\/feeling-left-out.png\" alt=\"don't understand humor and feeling left out international students\" width=\"623\" height=\"330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/08\/21061215\/feeling-left-out.png 623w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/08\/21061215\/feeling-left-out-300x159.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 623px) 100vw, 623px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>For example, a student mentioned this story when we asked why she started learning with us:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>At lunch, my international co-workers would start talking in English \u2026 sometimes about topics I can\u2019t discuss even in Japanese. So not only could I not follow the conversation, [but] I also couldn\u2019t understand their jokes. When everyone laughed, I felt left out.<br \/>\n\u2013 Hirono-san (\ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf5)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>For this student, not being able to take part in humor was an obstacle to her relationships with co-workers. Another student, who often travels abroad, mentioned a similar episode:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>When my family and I went to Hawaii, the guide would crack jokes, which everyone understood, except for my family!<br \/>\n\u2013 Tomoko-san (\ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf5)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>So if you notice that a student is in a similar situation, it\u2019s safe to assume that they\u2019ll be more accepting of jokes \u2014 if not eager to learn some themselves!<\/p>\n<p>In fact, the student above even measured her progress in English with her ability to crack jokes: \u201cAt first, I couldn't understand simple things tutors said, \u2018Let's do this today.\u2019 Now when the tutor makes a joke, I can reply with a joke!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As tutors, this gives us a new opportunity to <a href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/what-are-your-unique-selling-points-as-an-online-tutor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stand out<\/a> \u2014 by teaching them how to joke around in English!<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_Its_Unclear\"><\/span>When It\u2019s Unclear<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Sometimes a student\u2019s attitude towards humor is unclear from their self-introduction.<\/p>\n<p>In these cases, we can \u201ctest the waters\u201d with a joke or two. For example, Tutor Mesi (\ud83c\uddff\ud83c\uddfc) often answers the question, \u201cWhat is your hobby?\u201d with a little joke: \u201cI like shopping ... but only when I have money!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You can try something similar. Maybe you\u2019ll get a few giggles, maybe not. But at least you'll know how to proceed for the rest of the lesson.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, don\u2019t be surprised if a student seems serious at first, but then opens up to humor after a few months. \u201cIn Japan, ... you have a few drinks, and people can be very funny,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/asiasociety.org\/what-makes-japanese-laugh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wplink-edit=\"true\">explains a Japanese comic novelist<\/a>. \u201cBut you don't try to break the ice with humor when you first meet somebody.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In other words, some cultures take more time to open up, so we\u2019ll want to save the jokes for later!<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%F0%9F%91%8B_Thats_it_for_now\"><\/span>\ud83d\udc4b That\u2019s it for now!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>We hope this has given you a better idea of when to joke around. For more on using humor in your lessons, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/extra-lesson-time-puns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this article<\/a> on using puns during free-talk sessions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you joked around with a student and then noticed that they didn\u2019t look entertained? Or worse, have you ever offended or confused a student with your sense of humor? \ud83d\ude4b Humor can make or...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":137,"featured_media":6912,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"unified_meta_tagline_field":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[26],"class_list":["post-471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about-online-tutoring","tag-cross-cultural-communication"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>When We Should (and Shouldn\u2019t) Joke Around With Students | Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Humor can be a powerful tool in online tutoring, but only when it&#039;s appropriate! Here are some tips for incorporating jokes into your lessons.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"When We Should (and Shouldn\u2019t) Joke Around With Students | Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Humor can be a powerful tool in online tutoring, but only when it&#039;s appropriate! Here are some tips for incorporating jokes into your lessons.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-23T13:00:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-24T03:06:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/07090022\/joke_with_students_caller_en.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Frances Chan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Frances Chan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Frances Chan\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b38f1af3553ca82c328f4669ce4f44c7\"},\"headline\":\"When We Should (and Shouldn\u2019t) Joke Around With Students\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-23T13:00:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-24T03:06:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/\"},\"wordCount\":701,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/07085544\/joke_with_students.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"cross-cultural communication\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Online Tutoring\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/\",\"name\":\"When We Should (and Shouldn\u2019t) Joke Around With Students | Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/07085544\/joke_with_students.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-23T13:00:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-24T03:06:53+00:00\",\"description\":\"Humor can be a powerful tool in online tutoring, but only when it's appropriate! Here are some tips for incorporating jokes into your lessons.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/07085544\/joke_with_students.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/07085544\/joke_with_students.jpg\",\"width\":1600,\"height\":1067,\"caption\":\"A laughing woman covering her mouth with both hands\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Engoo\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/teach.engoo.com\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Online Tutoring\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/category\/about-online-tutoring\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"When We Should (and Shouldn\u2019t) Joke Around With Students\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog\",\"description\":\"Teach English with Engoo!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Engoo Tutor's Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/02\/25100646\/engoo-logo-tutor2.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/02\/25100646\/engoo-logo-tutor2.svg\",\"width\":1,\"height\":1,\"caption\":\"Engoo Tutor's Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b38f1af3553ca82c328f4669ce4f44c7\",\"name\":\"Frances Chan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2cc1ab0a97c800777bb827a1eea9fe20bdeb44023796fc324b3663febe04fba5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2cc1ab0a97c800777bb827a1eea9fe20bdeb44023796fc324b3663febe04fba5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Frances Chan\"},\"description\":\"Frances is a member of the Materials team who hails from the US. She is an avid language learner and has also taught\/tutored English in France, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Speaking with tutors for this blog is one of her favorite tasks.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/author\/franceschan\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"When We Should (and Shouldn\u2019t) Joke Around With Students | Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog","description":"Humor can be a powerful tool in online tutoring, but only when it's appropriate! Here are some tips for incorporating jokes into your lessons.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"When We Should (and Shouldn\u2019t) Joke Around With Students | Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog","og_description":"Humor can be a powerful tool in online tutoring, but only when it's appropriate! Here are some tips for incorporating jokes into your lessons.","og_url":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/","og_site_name":"Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog","article_published_time":"2025-09-23T13:00:31+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-24T03:06:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/07090022\/joke_with_students_caller_en.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Frances Chan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Frances Chan","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/"},"author":{"name":"Frances Chan","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b38f1af3553ca82c328f4669ce4f44c7"},"headline":"When We Should (and Shouldn\u2019t) Joke Around With Students","datePublished":"2025-09-23T13:00:31+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-24T03:06:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/"},"wordCount":701,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/07085544\/joke_with_students.jpg","keywords":["cross-cultural communication"],"articleSection":["Online Tutoring"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/","url":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/","name":"When We Should (and Shouldn\u2019t) Joke Around With Students | Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/07085544\/joke_with_students.jpg","datePublished":"2025-09-23T13:00:31+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-24T03:06:53+00:00","description":"Humor can be a powerful tool in online tutoring, but only when it's appropriate! Here are some tips for incorporating jokes into your lessons.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/07085544\/joke_with_students.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/07085544\/joke_with_students.jpg","width":1600,"height":1067,"caption":"A laughing woman covering her mouth with both hands"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/ha-ha-ha-when-we-should-and-shouldnt-joke-around-with-students\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Engoo","item":"https:\/\/teach.engoo.com"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Online Tutoring","item":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/category\/about-online-tutoring\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"When We Should (and Shouldn\u2019t) Joke Around With Students"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/","name":"Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog","description":"Teach English with Engoo!","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Engoo Tutor's Blog","url":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/02\/25100646\/engoo-logo-tutor2.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/02\/25100646\/engoo-logo-tutor2.svg","width":1,"height":1,"caption":"Engoo Tutor's Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b38f1af3553ca82c328f4669ce4f44c7","name":"Frances Chan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2cc1ab0a97c800777bb827a1eea9fe20bdeb44023796fc324b3663febe04fba5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2cc1ab0a97c800777bb827a1eea9fe20bdeb44023796fc324b3663febe04fba5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Frances Chan"},"description":"Frances is a member of the Materials team who hails from the US. She is an avid language learner and has also taught\/tutored English in France, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Speaking with tutors for this blog is one of her favorite tasks.","url":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/author\/franceschan\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/137"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=471"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7099,"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471\/revisions\/7099"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}