In Search of Joy

We will never have positive classrooms if students don't experience positive emotions. But Stephen Wolk ("Joy in School," p. 8) charges that schools unwittingly take the joy out of learning for many kids. He quotes John Goodlad's 1984 assertion that "Bordeom is a disease of epidemic proportions….Why are our schools not places of joy?" and adds

Now, a generation later, if you were to ask students for a list of adjectives that describe school, I doubt that joyful would make the list. The hearts and minds of children and young adults are wide open to the wonders of learning and the fascinating complexities of life. But school still manages to turn that into a joyless experience. (p. 8)

Discuss in your group:

• Not everyone would agree with Wolk's statement that "The hearts and minds of children and young adults are wide open to the wonders of learning." Do you agree?
• When young adults aren't—or don't appear to be—open to the wonders of learning, what might be going on?

Reflect on your own teaching:

Webster's College Dictionary defines joy as "the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune." Bring to mind specific times when you saw one or several students exhibiting joy. What experiences seemed to lead to this "emotion of delight"? Was it lively group interactions? Challenging projects? Field trips?

• What made these experiences joyful rather than merely fun for learners? (see Wolk's distinction between joy and fun on p. 10).
• Review Wolk's 11 suggestions for injecting more joy into school. List five things you could do in the first weeks of school to make sure that each learner in your class experiences joy.

In Search of Safety and Positive Messages

For joy to flourish in classrooms, students must first feel safe within those rooms. Both "Assuming the Best" (Rick Smith and Mary Lambert, p. 16) and "The Power of Our Words" (Paula Denton, p. 28) emphasize teachers' responsibility to maintain an emotionally safe environment. Denton stresses the importance of positive teacher language; Smith and Lambert stress approaching all students with positive thoughts and assuming that even those who seem most recalcitrant truly want to learn the content and behaviors you want to teach.

For middle school and high school teachers:

Smith and Lambert discuss the "internal radios" that both teenagers and adults often hear in their heads, sending out distracting messages. Such messages can block teachers' ability to assume the best about difficult students. Teachers must "hold our ground" against internal messages (like "this kid just doesn't care") so that we can react firmly and caringly to all learners.

• In this first month of school, identify one student whose disruptive behavior or resistance to learning activities concerns you. Tune in to any "internal radio" messages that may be interfering with your ability to assume the best about that student (such as "Everything's a joke to her"). Try replacing them with positive messages ("She may joke because she's insecure, but she really wants to do well"). Report back to the group on how this affects your attitude toward that learner.
• Take it a step further: Try out the "Two-by-Ten" strategy described in Smith and Lambert's article. For ten days in a row, chat with this student for at least two minutes about something the student is interested in. Do you notice improvement in that student's behavior? In your relationship with that student?

For elementary school teachers:

• Reread the five principles of teacher language outlined in Denton's article. Reflect on your communication with any students who have trouble following classroom expectations. In a journal, jot down specific things you say to such "problem" students or ask a fellow teacher to observe you to help you examine how you communicate.
• Reflect on your classroom communication, looking at Principles 2 and 3 of Denton's list ("Convey Faith in Students' Abilities and Intentions" and "Focus on Actions, not Abstractions"). Think about how you give classroom directions or requests to stop problem behaviors, especially to students who "act up." Do your words show faith that such students have good intentions and the ability to carry them out? Do you spell out with concrete actions what "good behavior" looks like?