At times, it may seem as though the importance of high-stakes testing and the press to adapt to the next wave of policy changes has eclipsed the importance of the affective attributes of teaching and learning in our national consciousness — attributes like curiosity, wonder, zest, and joy.

But great educators know that creating a joyful learning environment isn't anything like squaring a circle. Joy and learning aren't at odds. Rather, they're closely related.

This course presents perspectives on joy and happiness across time and discipline, and it shares four (of likely countless) approaches you can take to create a joyful classroom climate. You'll also have the opportunity to plan and practice facilitating joyful learning with your colleagues in an in-person session. Then, for your course assessment, you will submit classroom video and written reflection on your approach to creating a joyful classroom climate.