From the Classroom to the Bookshelf: Centennial Teacher Publishes Joke Book

What began as a lighthearted classroom moment has become a published trilogy of books that helps readers laugh—and learn. Sean Tomás Fleming, an English Language Learner (ELL) teacher at Centennial Elementary School, is the author of Explain the Joke: Books 1–3, a collection of silly jokes paired with thoughtful explanations that help unlock the humor for readers learning English or simply curious about how language works.

Fleming, who grew up in Minneapolis, considers Richfield his second home. He attended Holy Angels and his grandparents lived here when he was growing up. After graduating from college, he taught in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, then lived and worked in Santiago, Chile and Lima, Peru. Over the course of his career, he’s taught Social Studies, Spanish, English and ESL. Through every chapter of his life, language and literacy have remained central.

“My favorite work has always been with students, language and literacy,” Fleming shared.

The idea for Explain the Joke was born in a fourth-grade classroom, where his English learners were trying to make sense of the jokes they heard from classmates and on TV. “They wanted to understand the jokes, so I started explaining them,” he said. “That eventually turned into a blog.”

Fleming launched his “Explain the Joke” blog in 2013, collecting and unpacking jokes submitted by students, readers and his own research. “I read joke books and websites looking for jokes that made me laugh and had language or cultural aspects worth explaining,” he said.

Twelve years later, his blog caught the attention of a Canadian educational publisher, D C Canada. Initially, they planned a single volume of 50 jokes, but the project quickly expanded. “Eventually, it became three books of 60 jokes each,” Fleming explained. “Then they decided to also publish a single volume combining all three.”

Each joke in the book is paired with an explanation that breaks down the wordplay, idioms or cultural references involved. “Someone might understand the words of a joke, but not why it’s funny,” Fleming said. “Humor is very cultural, and understanding it requires a deep knowledge of language—especially how words can have multiple meanings.”

Fleming’s own experience learning Spanish as a second language helped him appreciate how hard it can be to “get the joke” in another language. He credits his wife, Ana Maria, a native Spanish speaker who learned English as an adult, as one of his most helpful test readers. “She was a very patient reader and offered suggestions when my explanations weren’t clear,” he said. “I also appreciated when people would say, ‘I still don’t get it.’ That always helped me make the explanations better.”

One of his favorite jokes in the book? “Q: How do you keep someone in suspense? A: I’ll tell you tomorrow.” Another classic: “Q: Why is 6 afraid of 7? A: Because 7 ate 9.” These seemingly simple jokes demonstrate how humor can rely on wordplay and context—something that isn’t always obvious to a new language learner.

Fleming hopes the books offer more than just a few laughs. “I hope readers can giggle at the jokes, once they understand them,” he said. “But more importantly, I hope it encourages them to keep learning language and asking questions. Understanding humor helps me understand culture. And when I understand another culture better, I can understand my own culture better, too.”

Whether you're learning English, teaching it, or just enjoy a good pun, Fleming’s work is a reminder of the joy and complexity of language—and the power of a good laugh.

Explain the Joke: Books 1–3 is available on Amazon.