I was at a wedding a few weeks ago. When I went to the restroom, I went into a stall that had no toilet paper. The lady next to me said, "There isn't any toilet paper in there. I will hand you some." Then she preceded to hand me some toilet paper underneath the stall. As a Seinfeld fan, you can only imagine the scene that I immediately thought about:
Whereas the lady in the clip didn't have a "square to spare," the lady beside me had plenty. Seinfeld will always be my favorite television series. I was never a fan until I had the opportunity to watch one of his shows with my aunt during the Western Open (golf tournament) one summer (1994? can't remember). Since then, I have watched, rewatched, laughed, and successfully quoted in my classroom...until about ten years years ago when all I heard were "crickets chirping." The silence was disheartening! When my students no longer found humor in my references, I knew I was in trouble...until around four years ago. One day in AP Macroeconomics, we were discussing trade and imports/exports. A student looked at me and said, "Like Art Vandelay, the importer/exporter?" At that moment, I nearly cried. This student had officially become my favorite teacher's pet! The picture of "Art Vandelay," which I hung on my wall the next day, is still hanging today.
If you are an Economics teacher and a Seinfeld fan, I hope you know about the website The Economics of Seinfeld. I came across it years ago and found it hilarious. Even if students are not Seinfeld fans, the clips are useful in applying economic concepts to everyday life. There are seven pages of clips. For each clip, you are provided a description, information (concepts, season, etc.), and the clip. If for some reason this website is blocked by your IT department, many of these clips can be accessed on YouTube, specifically Seinfeld Shorts (a YouTube page).
Another way you can use this website is by taking the clips and concepts presented and insert into an Edpuzzle, an interactive web-based tool that allows teachers to insert formative assessments with the clip. For example, watch the following clip:
This clip presents a great example of thinking through everyday decisions. I went to YouTube and found the clip. I inserted it into Edpuzzle and created questions for the students. The questions are not necessarily asking them about the clip (although they can be) but more application of the concepts I am teaching them THROUGH the clip.
Step 2: I like giving a NOTE at the beginning to prepare students what they are about to watch.
Step 3: Pause the video and insert questions as you go (multiple choice or short answer).
This year presents many challenges for teachers. I recently told a teacher friend that we are ALL first year teachers this year. One thing, however, that this pandemic has made me do is to do all the stuff I have been wanting to do but have never done (like converting many of my worksheets to interactive lessons). Edpuzzle is a great tool to keep students engaged regardless if they are learning in the classroom or at home through virtual learning. AND... if you want to embed some humor into your classes, use Seinfeld clips and The Economics of Seinfeld website to help guide your instruction. We all could use a little humor these days...
Last, I leave you with this website - The Life of a Teacher: As Told By Seinfeld
