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Joy in School

Joy in School. Professional Article Review by Denine Zielinski October 20, 2009. Article Author: Steven Wolk Published in: Educational Leadership Online/August2009. Summary.

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Joy in School

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  1. Joy in School Professional Article Review by Denine Zielinski October 20, 2009 Article Author: Steven Wolk Published in: Educational Leadership Online/August2009

  2. Summary As educators, we have the responsibility to educate and inspire the wholechild - mind, heart, and soul. -Steven Wolk

  3. Essentials of Joy in Schools • Find the Pleasure in Learning •Children do get pleasure out of learning. •Much of it is learning that is motivated from within. Ex: cars, dancing, or skateboarding •Challenges are seen as a part of the process. •We need to nurture human beings, not just create test takers and workers.

  4. Essentials of Joy in Schools 2. Give Students Choice •Joy in learning usuallyrequires some ownership on the part of the learner. •Let the students choose: •Books to read •Genres to write •Subtopics to study •Products to create •Exploratory period of 1 hour a day

  5. Essentials of Joy in Schools 3. Let Students Create Things •Pride in bringing an idea to fruition. •Limitless ideas: •newspapers, magazines, brochures, posters, murals, websites, interviews, models, diagrams, mock trials, paintings, songs, surveys, graphs, or videos

  6. Essentials of Joy in Schools 4. Show Off Student Work •School spaces without student work are sterile and joyless. •Create student pride. •Show off the students themselves by posting photographs near their work.

  7. Essentials of Joy in Schools 5. Take Time to Tinker •Tinkering School •California •Summer school •Hands-on, imaginative, improvised •School days are too planned with no room for spontaneity.

  8. Essentials of Joy in Schools 6. Make School Spaces Inviting •Why only rows and chalkboards? •Why not rugs, bean bags, comfortable chairs, or lamps? •Transform unused spaces throughout the school. •Plants or flowers •Student created murals

  9. Essentials of Joy in Schools 7. Get Outside •Fresh air, trees, and a sunny day can do wonders for the human spirit. •Recess •Take students outside on nice days to read, write, or have a class meeting.

  10. Essentials of Joy in Schools 8. Read Good Books •Everyone loves a good story. •Look for books or articles to grab kids attention. •Encourage reading of books that are not so serious. 

  11. Essentials of Joy in Schools 9. Offer More Gym and Art Classes •Impoverished schools often cut out the special classes. •Some special classes only once or twice a week for 45 minutes. •Work on Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences •How much joy can students experience in a class that is only 45 minutes each week?

  12. Essentials of Joy in Schools • Transform Assessment •Too many tests, quizzes, letter grades, number grades and standardized tests. •Use narrative assessments •Use authentic assessment •portfolios, presentations, performances •Self-Assessments •Parent and student conferences

  13. Essentials of Joy in Schools • Have Some Fun Together •Personal Interaction •Take a break from the sometimes emotional, tense, and serious school day. •Outdoor field days, spirit weeks,sporting events •Tear down personal walls

  14. Conclusion Teaching is hard, but it is in everyone’s best interest to help teachers find joy in their work. By doing so, students will find joy in school and their learning experience will affect them in more positive ways - mind, heart, and soul.

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