MICHAEL LUONGO

Michael Luongo has always been funny. He was funny as a student at Cooper City High School and the University of Florida and he was funny when he began teaching full time in the late 1980s. Thanks to the encouragement of his best friend, these days Michael’s getting paid for his humorous nature and supplementing that income by substitute teaching when he’s not on the road.

"My buddy talked me into entering an amateur night competition at the Comic Strip and the rest is history," says Michael. "The club owner said ‘you got it’ and made me a regular." Michael would teach by day and do comedy at night, working as many as five evenings a week on stage well past midnight. "My first love has always been entertaining," explains Michael, who goes by the stage name Michael Francis. Before he knew it, his local gigs turned into regional gigs and Michael was making weekend road trips to Naples, Orlando and Fort Myers and rushing home to teach on Monday mornings.

To get more exposure to larger comedy clubs, Michael briefly moved to Boston and Las Vegas, where he subbed during the day, as well. Since getting into comedy Michael has played the college market and even opened for Smokey Robinson at the Sunrise Musical Theater. "I’ve even worked in biker bars where no one listens!," he quips.

There came a point in time where Michael needed to devote more time to his first love, so he gave up teaching full time to substitute teach in between his gigs. At first he traveled as a solo act, performing in 35 states as well as throughout Florida. In the mid 1990s, he and a buddy put together an act called "Pure Insanity" with the help of well-known comedian Carrot Top – a longtime friend. Two weeks before school started this year, "Pure Insanity" was on the Las Vegas strip. "Two weeks later, I was teaching second grade in Broward County," laughs Michael.

"I have a lot of fun in the classroom; it’s quite a riot," says Michael. "The kids can’t believe someone who’s a teacher and an educator can be this funny. They’ve even gone so far as to write to Oprah and Rosie asking for their help in getting me my own TV show!" It’s heartwarming to see how they respond to me. I’ve had principals tell me that when I come to substitute at their school the kids act as though Justin Timberlake just showed up!"

When he’s in the classroom, Michael’s act is simple: "I direct, educate and entertain them," he explains. "I give my heart and soul for $80 or $90 a day and I know what it’s like to impart everything you have in a six-hour day," says Michael. "I always tell my students, ‘Kids, there’s no extra charge for the entertainment!’ " In fact, Michael, a proponent of positive reinforcement, often uses humor to get their attention. "Instead of chastising a student who’s not paying attention, I make it funny. I don’t tolerate foolishness or disrespect, though; like everything else, there has to be a balance."

Michael has suggestions for teachers who could use a little more humor in their classrooms. "Every teacher should smile first thing in the morning and greet the children. Let them see you’re human just like they are. Humor makes people feel good and a lot of the children we teach don’t laugh enough. If they can see that you’re willing to laugh at yourself and make light of situations sometimes, that’s great. Laughter is universal." Some very good advice from a very funny fellow.