Joy in the Moment

Joy is a complex, positive emotion — not just fleeting happiness, but a distinct feeling that can run deep and resonate with our sense of connection, meaning, and well-being.^[1]

Appiah, R. and Roberts, M., 2025

If you ever heard me speak you’ll know that I talk about moving what goes on in the classroom along a line from 'active learning' to 'engagement' to 'investment'.

It’s when children and young people are invested – when the learning means something to them at an emotional level – that the magic happens.

But let me take you, the teacher, along another line now.

It’s a line that starts with surviving.

Moves on to exploring.

And ends in joy.

You are tired

Surviving – you may know it as ‘coping’ or even just ‘the job’ – is when, without fanfare or a film crew being present or a Teacher of the Year nomination, you deal with the following and still have children learning:

• The tech fails. Again.
• The heating is broken.
• A learning walk comes though the door led by someone with half of your teaching experience.
• You are tired but the children aren’t.
• You aren’t tired but the children are.
• The fire bell is goes off. Again.
• You planned for Tuesday and it’s Thursday.

Using all our skills of resilience and dedication to survive any (or all of the above – that was a helluva week!), means the exploration can begin.

The Teacher We Signed Up to Be

Exploration means we can move beyond survival and delivery and getting by.

It means we can make room in our classrooms for any (or all – in a helluva week) of the following:

• Opportunity
• Creativity
• Learning
• Thinking
• Curiosity
• Independence

Once released, these elements of exploration can have a positive impact on what’s going on in the classroom and can, well, let teachers teach.

They let teachers – us – be the teachers we wanted to be when we signed up to do the job in the first place.

It’s that feeling when everything is going right.

It’s the moment you wished the learning walk were bursting in.

The moment your ducks are in a row, and the plan comes to fruition.

The moment the children surprise you.

The moment you might even surprise yourself.

And nobody sees it because it’s just you and the class. The genuine us. The classroom community.

And now, this is where that elusive of emotions resides – joy.

Nine Ways to Find the Joy in Teaching and Learning

Joy is a deep, often spontaneous emotion that arises from meaningful connection and gratitude, transcending simple happiness to create a sense of emotional richness and well-being.

Once we’ve created a classroom where we've got past surviving and moved to exploration and a classroom where joy can be cultivated, how can we make it happen?

Here are my nine quick tips for (re)finding the joy in teaching and learning.

• Use language that reinforces belonging – us and we
• Be a warm demander^[2]..This means you demonstrate high expectations combined masterfully with high relational skills rather than someone in a suit on a warm/strict power trip.
• Work alongside as well as in front of children.
• Be grateful when you spot those moments of autonomy in even your most challenged learners, those occasions that result in moments of genuine job satisfaction.
• Refuse to be led by the pedagogical extremes of Chaotic Creativity or PowerPoint Death Ritual, opting instead for being a discerning practitioner.
• Ask yourself, ‘What do I want it to be like to be taught be me?’ then keep the answer at the forefront of your mind.
• Don’t simply manage but curate the learning atmosphere you want in your class.
• Notice the great moments and find the joy in them but, like the Jaws franchise, remember that it can’t be great all the time.
• Understand that learning is an emotional transaction.

As we move into a new year where the world out there can seem evermore challenging, scary, and fraught, it’s more important than ever we offer classroom experiences that find space for hope, warmth, laughter, and, yes, joy.

Happy  – and joy-filled - New Year.

You know the song...