#caedchat is for California educators, by California educators. All are welcome as moderators and participants discuss issues that emerge in California education, which are generally applicable to other regions of the United States.
Reminder: Moderators will post questions with Q1, Q2, Q3. Participants respond with A1, A2, A3, etc. Tonight’s questions can also be found here: https://t.co/CS2A9n3GXd#caedchat
Hi #caedchat Scott Petri, So Cal HS History teacher excited to talk about JOY tonight. If the teacher isn't having fun, the students probably aren't either. https://t.co/Lgn65KeanQ
Hi #caedchat Scott Petri, So Cal HS History teacher excited to talk about JOY tonight. If the teacher isn't having fun, the students probably aren't either. https://t.co/Lgn65KeanQ
Hi! I'm Nikki from Santa Maria. I am 1st/2nd Grade Math & Science TOSA and I get to have some Techy fun too. I am looking forward to some exciting math adventures and learning more and more about how to implement NGSS. #caedchat
Hi! Rick Stevens from San Francisco area. Still trying to understand the best way to educate after 25 years in classroom. Now a consultant and searcher after the joy of learning. #caedchat
A1. Joy in a classroom is often felt before it is seen. It looks like laughter, sharing and feels like you are in a safe environment to take both academic and social risks. #caedchat
Leila here Deputy Sup from Escondido. To me Joy is simply the outward expression of a decision to be grateful and an acknowledgment of the blessings that come our way everyday if we choose to see them #caedchat
A2: My children, my guy, friends always bring joy. And a huge source of joy is when you see the learning click for a student. When they are proud of themselves... wow! My heart explodes. #caedchat
A2: I find the greatest amount of joy in being with my children (now grown adults) and my grandchildren. The young ones remind me of what it is like to experience wonder as they learn about the world. #caedchat
A2: My family brings me so much joy! My husband and boys can crack me up and truly make me love my life. Learning is another thing that brings me joy. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't learn SOMETHING new!! #caedchat
A2: My joy comes from the miracles of nature, music, a good days work, but mostly from these little beings and their parents. I love being agrammie #caedchat
A2: In the classroom, students bring me joy. Intellectual curiosity is part of that. I love when I can help them to see the connections between their world and our classroom. #caedchat
A2 Making my creations brings me joy! As well as reading and watching a good movie. My students also bring me joy. I love when they finally grasp an idea/concept. #caedchat
A2: My family and my work bring me joy always, but also have been focusing in last few years on finding joy daily in little things-- cooking a good meal, a walk through the neighborhood w/my favorite music, quiet time w/coffee and a book on Sunday morning... #caedchat
A3 What's NOT fun! Lawsuits brewing over how much must be spent on CA schools. Finance Director appointed by the governor now decides funding number$. https://t.co/l8GlsWFRDn#caedchat@UTLAnow@LASchools The answers are buried in fine print.
A3: Schools tend to diminish joy to the extent that they become compliance oriented. If Ss are seen as test results and data without realizing that they are children, then joy of learning suffers. #caedchat
A3: Sometimes teachers get caught up in getting through ALL the curriculum and letting pacing guides rule their classes rather than connecting to their students. That can suck the joy right out of a classroom. #caedchat
A3: Adults rob themselves and their students of joy when they sweat the small stuff and fail to recognize how fortunate we are to spend our day in the service of others. #caedchat
A3: Over testing kills joy. Also, when working with high achieving students, I think some of the joy is lost by the pervasive idea that school is what one has to endure to get a high paying job and that A's are the only indicator of success. #caedchat
A4: I think if the culture of a school/classroom/workplace fostered joy more would be done because all involved would actually enjoy being where they are doing what they do. #caedchat
A3) School can suck the joy out of children because education has a way of telling kids what is good for them. We see kids from a deficit perspective where an education can make them better. #caedchat
A4. Rita Pierson said it all about joy when she stated: "Kids won't work for people they don't like." Our students are looking for social emotional connections and teachers personalizing their learning... One size does not fit all!
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A4: The key is bringing joy to everything we do in the classroom. I’m not a huge fan of “testing” but I’ve watched skilled educators bring joy to the experience and I’ve seen adults make it awful. ItBeginswithMe! #caedchat
A4: When we are joyful, we feel valued & we're more open to learning. If we were to emphasize joy, productivity would naturally increase because we'd feel like we were a part of something bigger than ourselves. That joyfulness would help us know we were important. #caedchat
Amen! No joy when the “A” is all that matters, but you can find so much joy in the process of learning/developing relationships/trying new things... #caedchat
A4: A focus on joy of learning is an enabler to Ss. There can even be joy in struggling and failing on a journey to mastery. Joy is a #mindset. Think of it as another version of "not yet." #caedchat
A4) It's not just an emphasis on joy, but allowing children to learn in a manner that provides self-expression and human development. The joy lies in the discovery. If we emphasis joy to raise test scores or improve discipline, we missed the point. #caedchat
So true! @ischooltravis said it wonderfully at our district's back to school breakfast last week... don't tell Ss they go to school to get good grades but to be uncomfortable, grow, solve probs #caedchat
We learned a while ago that it’s hard to teach hungry kids. We have to make our programs appear accessible. So many Ss struggle and remain silent. Meeting needs is expensive I suppose. #caedchat
A5: Most public schools I've been in are built for utility and not much else. They are very drab. Maybe, having a "joy consultant" could find easy ways to change things up a bit. I would love to see what quick solutions folks here have as I am at a loss. #caedchat
A5: There's a certain playfulness and nostalgia when it comes to thinking about joyfulness in a design space. By incorporating fun and thoughtful spaces that encourage thinking and reasoning, maybe we can increase the joy in schools. #caedchat
@manuelherrera33 was a learning space facilitator a few years back. The way I saw people design the classes he was involved in would put joy into any kid. Flexible seating, lots of white board space, etc. #caedchat
A5: Color, shape and design all play a role in classroom learning. Classroom layout, what is on the walls, celebrating student learning, creating discovery centers are things and processes that all play roles in creating a positive, joyful learning environment. #caedchat
I think incorporating those things that bring you joy into teaching is an important part of your personal well-being, and, as others said, a Ts joy rubs off on Ss. Makes me think of this Japanese concept of Ikigai, intro'd to me by @bbray at @SXSWEDU#caedchat
A6: Find your Marigolds. Use humor to teach, be willing to laugh at yourself, find a way to bring music and art into your life and the lives of our children. Share your passion with your students. Ignite their passion #caedchat
A6) To teach you need a teacher, a student, and content. We place all of the responsibility on the teacher. Teaching is more joyful when the student and the teacher learn from each other, which actually very rarely happens. #caedchat
A6: This year our staff is focusing on our “why.” We can tap into that much needed joy if we keep in the front our minds why we became educators. #CAedchat
A6 We can start in our classrooms by developing a joy filled community. Building in things that interest our Ss. Allowing Ss to have time to share with each other. Taking the time to just be together and forget the list of must do items. #caedchat
A6: If we did more of what brings us joy. I’d love to just be able to go about my day breaking into small bits of song and dance as I do my work in the Library. We should also loudly proclaim our wins - even if they be small. #caedchat
Joy Comes with the Morning A Psalm of David. By waking up and knowing the joy of another day! Having a grateful attitude creates altitude for all! #caedchat
A6: Speaking as a primary teacher...sing the silly song, dance the funky dance, talk in silly voices when you read a story. Make sure your Ss want to come back tomorrow! Foster that environment with colleagues too - Life is too short not to have fun at work! #caedchat
Its true, just as every student has a spark to provide, so do teachers. It is our differences that make the collective better. Children deserve to see adults that are happy and fulfilled in their work. #caedchat
A6: Class size reduction. CA has ridiculous class sizes. Up to 40 in middle school. That's a recipe for a compliance classroom management style. Joy comes from knowing your kids and what makes them tick. #caedchat
A6: This year our staff is focusing on our “why.” We can tap into that much needed joy if we keep in the front our minds why we became educators. #CAedchat
A6: A sense of humor and camaraderie makes teaching - and probably anything - more tolerable. It is important to shake things up, Sit down at a potluck. Watch a video like https://t.co/kXrsAAVIeO and reflect and share about life in our classrooms. #caedchat
A6: Excited that @CampbellCSI we're making passion-based teaching one of our "main things" to help bring more joy into teaching/learning! Ts will offer enrichment courses for our K-4 Ss on topics they love-- everything from cooking to music to gardening to sewing, etc. #caedchat
A7. Allow students to make mistakes, take risks. Learn their names and something about them. Create a safe learning environment for ALL! Being a competent leader.
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A7) Learning is a communal experience and must be shared with the community. The learning that takes place in the class must spill out into the streets and neighborhoods. Children and schools are the change our society is waiting for #caedchat
A7: Let all of us in the building learn our passions and let the “experts” guide us into applying content knowledge, which we may need to learn, to our passions. #caedchat
A6: Speaking as a primary teacher...sing the silly song, dance the funky dance, talk in silly voices when you read a story. Make sure your Ss want to come back tomorrow! Foster that environment with colleagues too - Life is too short not to have fun at work! #caedchat
A7: We must be in the right place when we enter the classroom.
Nothing is less joyful than sitting in a class with an instructor in "crisis" Next, learning is joyful when you can experience it (field trips). Also, when one has more choice in the way s/he learns. #caedchat
A7: Make learning relevant, promote curiosity and inquiry, allow kids to create, collaborate, critically think and commune, breaking bread should be a time of developing community. Play together #caedchat
A7 IMO joy tools: genius times, recess, inquiry, movement, hands on, depth of Tr understanding to the point of connecting to a real world product, friendly safe rooms, inclusion. #caedchat
A7) Conduct a "what's the most important things we need to know?" survey and research challenge. Then vote and spend 2 weeks learning those topics/skills. #caedchat
Sounds like you have a great program! We're going to try the Quantum Academy model shared w/me by @AppEducationFox... we'll have to keep in touch and compare notes! #caedchat
In reply to
@AlishaZ143, @CampbellCSI, @AppEducationFox
A7: Make learning relevant, promote curiosity and inquiry, allow kids to create, collaborate, critically think and commune, breaking bread should be a time of developing community. Play together #caedchat
#caedchat sorry to be late but... thanks y'all for the great topic & dialogue. I'm in #highered and I think joy has something to do with synergy. That moment of collaboration when the group is in flow and an outcome is unexpectedly awesome. https://t.co/pzKt7eiF4y
A8: It’s my first year teaching the Applied Library Media Studies class since it’s my first year as our Librarian, but I’m planning to use the new #DuckTales theme song to teach a lesson on the Dewey Decimal System. #caedchat
A8: Build in time periodically throughout the lesson to not only check for understanding but to celebrate the learning that occurred. Celebrate learning while learning 👏👏👏👏 #caedchat
A8: I think letting go of some of the control I have over the educational decision making in class. Continue to build S self-efficacy within the classroom. #caedchat
A8: Not thinking of a particular lesson but overall recognizing students' joy and being cognizant of what types of activities they are engaging in. If I can connect to my students and recognize their joys, I can be a better prepared teacher. #caedchat
