JumpStart Build Joy Day (12/2/24)

QUOTE:  "Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls." (Mother Teresa)

MESSAGE:  It’s the start of that crazy time of year when ALL the things are happening at school: concerts, family strife, plays, tests, projects, behaviors, parties, other kids getting left out, etc.  But there is a lot of joy, too, in all the hustle and bustle.  People are generally happy this time of year.  Maybe it’s from watching the Hallmark Channel or self-hypnotism by twinkling lights - who knows?  I do know that there are a lot of Christmas carols with ‘joy’ in the title or the lyrics, so there must be something about the season.

Here are two different definitions of joy:

• Joy is a feeling of extreme happiness or cheerfulness, especially related to the acquisition of something good.

• Joy is a feeling of great pleasure of happiness that comes from success, good fortune, or a sense of well-being.

I prefer the second definition because it highlights the feeling that comes from internal sources rather than ‘the acquisition of something good’.  We can always choose joy when its source comes from within, whereas we have to wait for joy when it’s due to something beyond our control.  For you word nerds, ‘joy’ comes from the Old French joie, which comes from the Late Latin gaudia (where ‘gaudy’ comes from).

Work environments that are infused with joy can see a 21% increase in productivity. (source) This applies to classrooms and schools, too!

Here are some ways to easily bring joy into your environment:

1. Incorporate music - It doesn’t have to be loud. I really disliked 5th grade except the days when Mr. Robinson played Barry Manilow Live.
2. Encourage collaboration and sharing - anything that can get people doing nice things for other people is sure to up the joy.
3. Weave in exercise and movement - even in the core subjects! I’ll bet you could even come up with (or have a student do it) a seated, silent routine that could get your students blood pumping and smiles spreading.
4. Encourage choice - autonomy and independence is an ultimate goal of humanity.  If taking it away is such a major punishment, think of what offering it could do!
5. Model choosing joy - On the days when it’s hard, share your journey of choosing joy with your students/staff.  Maybe start with this video (FYI, it has this line: ‘If you lookin for some tea then I'll get your a$$ some matcha’ so preview before playing with kids around, or start it after 0:40).

THIS WEEK, TRY THIS:  How can you make joy a habit?  Try something small today from the list above and see how it makes you and others feel.

DAD JOKE:  I wanted to marry my English teacher when she got out of jail.  But apparently, you can't end a sentence with a proposition.