Aug 29 2008
Where Do You Find Joy?
As I walked out of the public library last evening, a reserved and eagerly awaited for book in hand, gratitude filled my heart as I thought to myself, “I am proud to be a librarian.”
Driving toward the mall, I described to my husband why I enjoy being a school librarian: If the work I do each day in my school helps others derive joy in the simple pleasures of reading and learning, getting the materials they need and want, delivered in the spirit of helpfulness - then my work is meaningful and worthwhile for me. And being involved in meaningful and worthwhile work brings me joy.
Earlier that afternoon, I was glad to find “Joy 8: Read Good Books” in Steven Wolk’s article, ”Joy in School” featured in ASCD’s September 2008 volume of Educational Leadership, under the theme of “The Positive Classroom.” Wolk is careful not to use joy as a synonym for fun, noting that many of our joys in life are derivatives of our learning and that students are able to find joy in school without necessarily having fun. He urges us as teachers and school leaders to honor our repsonsibility in educating the whole child - heart, mind and soul and lists 10 essentials for bringing more joy into the classroom. Doing so, he notes will help us derive more joy from our work.
I just love his descriptions under all of the of 10 Joys, although, selfishly because of my role in the school I am focusing here on Read Good Books: ”The room was a buzz with students who could not wait to get their hands on the books.”
“The room was a buzz.” How rich is that! Don’t we wish every moment in the school day could be described with rich and colorful descriptions of children joyfully working, eagerly creating, enthusiastically learning, and being “nurtured as human beings?” Answering with my own enthusiastic, “Yes!” Steven Wolk is describing my life, my work as a school librarian and it is filled with absolute joy and pure satisfaction.
Sometimes I forget; when I feel buried under cables and cords, broken computers and the never ending demands on time and space. I let the challenges become frustrations, bringing my attention to the muck - And I forget what I’m doing there each day in that school. The seriousness of it all, achievement and assessment sometimes clouds my vision. I lose sight of my own joy - my own happiness that is derived by helping nurture the hearts, minds and souls of children who as Wolk says must be allowed - even encouraged sometimes, “to experience books for sheer pleasure.”
Yes!
There are other joys in the article, “Ten Essentials” to be exact and my hope is that we can each find one that suits our specialty, our Self as the Teacher or a specific joy that lends itself appropriate to the subject we teach. My wish is that we share our experiences with these joys, helping to building our collective intelligence and to remind each other where to look for strength - perhaps even how to access the smallest fragment of joy on those days that catch us off guard and threaten to shake our core.
It is in the interest of children that we help and support each other, as teachers, administrators and as a professional community of learners to find joy in our work, so that as Wolk says we can, “own our teaching” - both students and teachers coming to school each day, “knowing there are golden opportunities” for us all.
Where do you find joy in your work?
