If you were to ask students for a list of adjectives that describe school, I doubt joyful would make the list. The hearts and minds of students are wide open to the wonders of learning and the fascinating complexities of life. But school sometimes manages to turn that into a joyless experience.
Joy and learning—including school content—are not mutually exclusive. Many of our greatest joys in life are related to our learning. Unfortunately, most of that joyful learning takes place outside of school.
So what can schools and teachers do to bring some joy into students’ formal education?
Tip #1: Give Students Choices
Joy in learning usually requires some ownership on the part of the learner. Students can own some of their school learning in several ways. They can choose the books they want to read through independent reading. In writing workshop, they can choose for themselves the genre or topic to write about. During units in math, science, art, and social studies, they can choose specific subtopics to study; then, as "experts," they can share their learning with the class.
Students can also choose which products they want to create to demonstrate their learning. Which brings more joy—studying the civil rights movement in the United States through a textbook and lectures? Or creating comic books, writing and performing plays, interviewing people to create podcasts, and proposing your own ideas? Which would you rather do?
Tip #2: Let Students Create Things
People like to make stuff. Having control of our work and using our minds and hands to create something original gives us a tremendous sense of accomplishment.
The list of what students can create across the curriculum is virtually limitless: newspapers and magazines, brochures, stories, picture books, posters, murals, Web sites, podcasts, PowerPoint presentations, interviews, oral histories, models, diagrams, blueprints and floor plans, plays and role-plays, mock trials, photographs, paintings, songs, surveys, graphs, videos—the list goes on and on.
Tip #3: Show Off Student Work
Our schools and classrooms should be brimming with wonderful, original student work. Students are proud of their creations and are excited to show them off. School spaces where student work is absent depict a sterile and joyless environment. The walls of a classroom should speak to people; they should say exactly what goes on in that space from the students’ point of view.
While there are many ways to increase joy, these three are a simple and powerful place to start. You will soon find that creating joy for your students also creates joy for yourself, Each and every day becomes a golden opportunity for both you and your students to experience the joy in school.
Adrianne is a training consultant with The Bob Pike Group. In her work with classroom teachers, she advocates for joy in school as it dramatically increases students’ motivation to learn.
