Igniting joy in learning
What if joy wasn’t something we added after the learning, but something we designed for from the start?
In Episode 1 (Streaming live on all major platforms on Monday May 5th, 2025) of Education by Design, I sat down with Richard Hood — a teacher, facilitator, and inspiring and curious human being — to talk about the kind of learning that sticks. What emerged was not a list of strategies, but a mindset. A way of seeing students, learning, and ourselves with fresh eyes. At the heart of it all? Joy.
But let’s be clear: joy in learning doesn’t mean fun for fun’s sake. It’s not surface-level engagement or classroom gimmicks. Joy, as Richard describes it, is the feeling that arises when students feel seen, challenged, connected, and capable.
So how do we ignite that kind of joy — especially in systems where many students (and their teachers) are simply trying to endure?
1. See teaching as an act, not a delivery system
Richard reminds us that when teachers are given the space to design learning that reflects their values and their students’ lives, something shifts. Teaching becomes generative. It becomes art.
“If you’re not moved by what you’re teaching, it’s hard to move your students. ”
That’s an invitation to reclaim agency. Whether it’s reimagining a unit, co-creating success criteria with students, or asking “what matters most right now?”, joyful learning starts when teachers are trusted to create.
Try this: Host a weekly 5-minute “design huddle” with a colleague. Choose one lesson or concept and ask, What could make this more meaningful? The goal isn’t perfection — it’s possibility.
2. Rigor and joy are not opposites
Too often, joy is dismissed as “fluff” in education — a distraction from standards or outcomes. But research tells a different story. Emotionally engaged students retain information longer, transfer knowledge more effectively, and are more willing to take academic risks.
A 2019 study from Immordino-Yang and Darling-Hammond found that deep learning is rooted in emotional resonance. In other words, if students feel something, they’re more likely to remember it.
Richard puts it plainly: students don’t resist challenge — they resist meaningless challenge. When the work feels purposeful, their energy shifts.
Try this: At the end of a lesson, ask students: What was the most surprising part of today’s learning? What stuck with you — and why? Track their responses to surface patterns and reframe future learning around their interests.
3. Listen deeply to what students are trying to tell us
Richard talks about the “invisible curriculum” — the messages students receive about what matters in school. When compliance is rewarded over curiosity, students adapt. But they also disengage.
Igniting a joy for learning starts by tuning in. What questions are students asking when they’re off-task? What else are they doing? What topics light them up in passing conversation? What happens when we design around those cues?
Try this: Invite students to co-create a “learning playlist” — not just of songs, but of experiences, topics, or questions they want more of in school. Use it to guide one unit, one lesson, or one choice project.
Reference
Immordino-Yang, M. H., Darling-Hammond, L., & Krone, C. R. (2019). Nurturing nature: How brain development is inherently social and emotional, and what this means for education. Educational Psychologist, 54(3), 185–204. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2019.1633924
