During our district Welcome Back, our keynote speaker, Dean Shareski, spoke to us about finding JOY. He compared teaching over the past year as a rollercoaster ride - but also asked us to take time to smile, laugh, think and act. He reminded us to ask ourselves, "Where's the JOY?"
In his book, Why Joy Matters, Dean shared "The pressure and business of learning seems to be sucking the joy out of our schools. While there is much that needs to be done in our institution and curriculum to address this problem, there is much that can be done in classrooms and by teachers to bring JOY back into our classrooms." What a powerful quote! We, collectively, touch every Willow River student everyday. From how you greet each student each morning, interact in the hallways, check in at lunch and recess, and support them in the classroom, brings joy and fun to our students.
Joy is defined as an emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, or by the prospect of possessing what one desires. Obtaining and sustaining joy can be challenging. We will experience speed bumps, distractors, and maybe even a road block - so the challenge then becomes how to recognize it for what it is, a little bump in the road, and reground yourself in embracing a culture of joy!
This JOY can be found in and outside of school. In the words of Dean, it's about the art of noticing! We build opportunities for JOY within our days, with our students, as well as find opportunities for refreshing this JOY during our evenings and weekends. Noticing the beauty around us, whether it's our students, colleagues, family, friends, or nature - this focus on the JOY around us refreshes and resets out mindset.
As you prepare for conferences, find ways to share what you've noticed... the JOY you find in teaching, in your students, and in the Willow community!
Some more links from Dean Shareski, about JOY!
- Whatever Happened to Joy in Education? - a TedTalk with Dean Shareski
- Creating Hope and Joy for Learners - a conversation wih Dean Shareski
- Embrace a Culture of Joy - Episode #42 podcast by Dean Shareski
- Embracing a Culture of Joy - book by Dean SHareski (Amazon)
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