Where did all the JOY go? How to build relationships and joy in your classroom in 5 minutes or less...

Being a student of the 80s and early 90s, my school experiences were exponentially different than the children in schools today. I don't think that students of my generation had nearly the worries that these new students have.  There were no social media issues, because it didn't exist, and there were no mass shooting drills and worries, and we certainly had way less testing and testing pressure on us.  We also were allowed to enjoy school.  There were pep rallies, school dances, and carnivals then.  These days we spend all our time starting from kindergarten on pressuring children to do their best on tests and showing them how to 'run, hide, and fight.' Pep rallies are eliminated because they interfere too much with test preparation and carnivals and festivals certainly would not be safe for our students.

Where did all the fun go? As teachers, we feel the immense pressures right along with our students.  That is why I believe it is our job to make sure that students still have the opportunity to find joy in school.

Is it really hurting our students to take 5 minutes to build classroom relationships? Resources like Edutopia's 5-minute film fest are a great way to build camaraderie and add joy to the classroom.  On this April Fool's Day take 5 minutes to create joy and conversation in your classroom using the April Fool's 5-minute film fest.  I love the math teacher at the end. Now that's creativity.  You can't tell me his students don't love him - and as a result - love math.

Check it out below. (Live Slide HERE.)

Live Slide HERE.