BubbleUp Take5: Finding Joy

We've returned to school after spring break and found ourselves knee deep in the busiest time of year. We're in the final quarter, heading into state standardized testing, and racing to finish curriculum. Teaching is hard, we've talked about that before. But it is also incredibly rewarding so we need to take moments to find joy and to remind ourselves and our colleagues, that we do in fact love this work. This week's Take5 is all about helping us all find ways to bring joy and happiness into our classrooms for our students and into our own lives.

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I've been reading the book Joyful by  The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee. It is a fascinating research-based book about how to find joy in everyday life, including lots of great ideas for increasing our own joy. More of a visual learner? Check out Ingrid's TED Talk. Short on time? Watch the mini version.

This course, an online version of Yale University's most popular class ever, is now available FREE, to anyone. Take a look and learn how to be happier in your daily life.

I love this piece from Ingrid Fetell Lee's blog (The Aesthetics of Joy) on 5 Joyful Elementary Schools from Around the World. What can you incorporate into your own classroom or library? ​

An interesting study published by the National Academy of Sciences delves into the remarkable relationship between mental health and access to green space. The findings are summarized in a piece from KQED Mindshift. What can schools to do bring more green spaces into the lives of our students? 

And, since we can't talk joy without mentioning Marie Kondo, I love this take on clearing classroom instructional clutter. No, we're not talking about furniture and books, but rather, does what you're teaching today spark joy?

What brings you joy? How do you invite happiness into your classroom and instruction?

​-Gretchen

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You might also like:

BubbleUp Take5: Stressed? Try Mindfulness (November 13, 2018)
BubbleUp Take5: Finding ways to make summer work best for teachers (July 10, 2018)