Art Quote by Lauren Henderson
““Luigi, the art teacher, holds up his brush, and we all do the same. I’m not quite sure why we’re mirroring his action, but Luigi is very compelling, more than capable of making four excited girls calm down and concentrate on what he’s telling us. I think it’s partly because he’s very serious. Either he doesn’t have a sense of humor, or it’s extremely well hidden. This, as I’m perfectly aware from years of a girls-only school, is a crucially important quality for male teachers. There aren’t that many of them in a girls’ school, and unless they look like the back of a bus, they inevitably become huge crush-objects. Little girls follow them around in packs, giggling madly, turning bright red and running away when the teacher turns to look at them; older girls wear the shortest skirts and tightest tops they can get away with, and do a lot of what Kelly calls hair-flirting. Male teachers are usually pretty good at coping with the flirting techniques: the best way to get under their skin, forge a special bond with them, is to share their sense of humor, make them laugh. The clever girls know this; the pretty ones usually don’t, because they tend to rely too much on their looks. Of course, the ones who are both clever and pretty do especially well, but that’s true for everything in life.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “Male Teachers in Girls‑Only Schools” by Lauren Henderson, 2023
Male teachers must balance authority and approachability; humor can defuse adolescent attraction and maintain classroom focus.
In simple terms: Humor helps keep classroom order.
Use appropriate humor to connect with students.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- classroom management
- teacher training
- school policy
- student‑teacher interaction
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- When is humor appropriate in teaching?
- How to set boundaries while being relatable?
Humor may be misinterpreted or seen as unprofessional.