Make Joy a Priority in District Recovery

MY VIEW

The pandemic was grueling on public schools. Crankiness became the rule, not the exception.

Teachers were cranky because they were thrown into the deep end of virtual learning and expected to swim like Olympians without time for practice and instruction. Students were cranky because the only hands-on learning involved changing video backgrounds and pushing the mute button when the dog started barking. Board members faced crankiness when the no-win mask/no-mask debate played out during the call to the public.

School leaders experienced 24/7 crankiness attempting to keep the focus on teaching and learning while monitoring and adjusting to constantly changing government mandates. Culture and climate in schools during the pandemic could be characterized by the famous line in the poem, “Casey at the Bat”: “But there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out.”

Although joy is rarely spelled out in mission statements, we know joy is an essential attribute to achieving an organization’s goals. Many variables associated with effective schools, student attendance and achievement, teacher retention and stakeholder engagement are impacted by feelings of joy. It is the ultimate motivator and crucial to achieving peak performance. Leaders understand that without joy, schools can survive but not thrive. Bringing back joy requires intentionality, patience and a personalized approach.