Pulling up a Chair: Sampling What Joyful Learning Looks Like

There’s a lot that I miss about being in the classroom consistently. Being a teacher has meant getting to learn alongside students, to be curious with them, to grapple with difficult things together and of course, to be silly with them. So it’s no wonder that I’ve enjoyed getting a chance to drop into classes this year to get a taste of what joyful learning looks like at Dana Hall. Here is a small sampling of those moments so far, small reminders for me that highlight what makes for a powerful learning environment.

I visited Kaitlin Brandt’s Literature and Composition III class where students sat in a close circle and began class with a free write. I tried to be inconspicuous, sitting off to the side away from the circle, but that strategy did not work for long. A student quickly invited me to the circle and the class made space for me. We wrote together and shared our responses to the prompt. I left the classroom with a smile on my face because it was a nice reminder that learning works best when we are all in it, when the invitation is offered and more importantly, when the invitation to be present is accepted by everyone in the room.

I visited Heather Panahi’s Comparative Politics class when they were discussing examples of how media communications and politics can intersect. The conversation was a weighty one, but students didn’t hesitate to offer their thoughts and to listen to one another. That kind of healthy discussion doesn’t happen on its own. It requires building community and trust first, an often invisible part of the curriculum that helps give space for our students to engage in tough conversation with one another.

I visited Danny Morris’ Creating Character class and got to witness students practice using different tones to convey meaning, all through a Taylor Swift song. This visit led to another invitation later in the year for an improv assessment in that same class. Not only did I get to see how much progress students made (they were so much more comfortable with the unknown and unpredictable!), but I also got to laugh so much with our students as they thought quickly on their feet, responding to the different prompts we threw their way. They were clever and talked through how the skills of improv can be applied to so many other scenarios beyond the classroom. They were also clearly having fun learning with each other; they didn’t hesitate to embrace the silliness and supported each other in each scene. 

I visited Alla Baranovsky’s Data Science class as students presented their Shiny Pages, a student-designed, long-term research project. As students shared their findings to date, Alla positioned each student as experts. She encouraged them to field questions from their peers and to take pride in what they’ve learned about coding, data sets, research, and ways to interpret and represent data. It was a helpful reminder that the teacher doesn’t always have to be at the front of the room. To have students step into the role as expert reminds them of what they have to contribute to their peers and what role they have in creating a learning environment together.

Just one more story (though there are many more!). I visited Kassie Teng’s Drawing and Painting class as students were starting an astrology and Chinese zodiac project using interference pigments. I was hooked and this drop-in turned into additional class visits, so I could complete the project with students. Kassie gave me the same homework students received. We turned our initial sketches into fully formed ideas and experimented with different pigments. When I completed my project during Conference Period with students (just in time for the end of the trimester!), I shared it with Kassie and muttered sheepishly, “It’s not my best work.” Immediately, a couple students stopped and said, “Ms. Teng doesn’t let you say that! You can’t put yourself or your work down!” They clued me in on the importance of not being self-critical and recognizing the importance of trying. I was so grateful to engage in this project with students, but even more, I was grateful to experience what students are internalizing in our classes: taking risks is important as is taking pride in your work. 

As we make our way through Trimester III, I’m looking forward to learning more with our students and faculty!