Practical Tips for

Joyful

Teaching & Learning

Andrea Magee ETAS 2020

Who am I?

• Warm up: Three Facts and a Fib:

• Read the facts around the room

• Three are true and one is false

• Stand next to the one you think is false

• Your turn! Write or draw

Three Facts and a Fib about yourself.

Find a partner and let them guess which one

is the fib.

Who am I?

• B.Ed. (Primary) Belfast, N. Ireland

• Masters in Learning, Learning Environments

& Educational Systems, Finland

• 2nd Grade Teacher, Zug, Switzerland

• Co-Founder of Embrace Joy in Education

(emJoy education)

TEACH MORE WITH JOY

“Research suggests that

superior learning takes place

when classroom experiences

are enjoyable and relevant to

students’ lives, interests, and

experiences.”

Willis, J. (2007) The Neuroscience of Joyful Education. Educational Leadership, 64 (9), http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-

leadership/summer07/vol64/num09/The-Neuroscience-of-Joyful-Education.aspx

TEACH

Maximizing

Opportunities for

Relationships &

Enjoyment

WITH

JOY

TEACH MORE WITH JOY

• Check in with each child

• Builds relationships

• Proactive behavior &

engagement strategy**research in middle schools

• Provide choice / ownership

TEACH MORE WITH JOY

• Collective class project

• Fosters classroom community

• Promotes “intentional acts of

kindness”Binfet, J.T., (2015), Not-So Random Acts of Kindness: A Guide to

Intentional Kindness in the Classroom, International Journal of Emotional

Education, 7 (2), 49-62.

TEACH MORE WITH JOY

• Cross-curricular learning

• Creative approach

Bonnett, Victoria M., Yuill, N. and Carr, A. (2017)

Mathematics, mastery and metacognition: how adding a

creative approach can support children in maths. Educational

and Child Psychology, 34 (1). pp. 83-93. ISSN 0267-1611.

• Class Pet Journal

• Fostering independent

writing

• Class novels

• Reading role model

Rajaratnam, R. (2013) For the Love of Reading! New

Strategies to Engage the Next Generation of Readers,

http://library.ifla.org/71/1/105-rajaratnam-en.pdf

TEACH MORE WITH JOY

http://library.ifla.org/71/1/105-rajaratnam-en.pdf

• Movement during lessons

• Boosts brain power

• Brain breaks

TEACH MORE WITH JOY

TEACH

Maximizing

Opportunities for

Relationships &

Enjoyment

WITH JOY

How emJoy was bornFIEdu, June 9 & 10, 2018

OUR GOAL: Give teachers the opportunity to exchange ideas,

collaborate and inspire them to embrace joy in education,

no matter where they teach.

TEACH LIKE FINLAND• 33 Simple Strategies for

Joyful Classrooms

• What brings you joy?

• What brings you joy in school?

• What brings children joy in school?

JOYFUL TEACHING & LEARNING

• Well-being

• Belonging

• Autonomy

• Mastery

• Mind-set

emJoy Teach Club

@emjoyeducation

Thank you for listening!

www.emjoyeducation.org