Nita Creekmore is a co-author All connections are important: how to build, maintain and restore relationships within and out of classrooms. A longtime coaching coach, presenter and education consultant, Creekmore returned to the classroom as a fifth grade teacher. In this interview with Educational Leadership Magazine, Creekmore discussed how she approaches her with joy and purpose every day.
This interview has been compiled for length and clarity.
How do you define joy?
So, for me, I feel that joy comes from within. It’s something I have to grow all the time, and I have to find sparkles and bright spots in what feels intense. And in school, Joy connects with students, with colleagues, with the human side of teaching and learning.
I sometimes find everything feels so heavy, especially when I’ve been educated for a long time (this is my 21st year). The system is not perfect, the system is broken in many places, but you can find joy in it.
What inspired you to return to the classroom after becoming a coaching coach?
I realized I missed having my own classroom with my own students. The students shuffled, and I missed hearing “Good morning, Mrs. Creekmore.” I missed the daily structure of my classroom routine. I missed out on the community that built the sense of family and the joy we experienced. I missed teaching my students every day. I missed the planning lesson. There was something to pull me back in the trench.
You suggested that teachers and students’ joys are closely linked. Can you talk more about that?
I feel like the joy of teachers and students are in line with each other. I am currently teaching English arts to fifth graders. If you feel joy, you know it permeates the students.
I have a student who came to my classroom earlier this year and said he didn’t want to read it. But I’m so excited about reading that I want to read the joys within them. I want to know what their interests are and take advantage of them.
Similarly, some of my children don’t want to come to school. So I try to find out what it is about schools they don’t like. What about their favourite school? Part of cultivating joy is building relationships. I love what I do and care about my students and their happiness.
One thing I’ve learned is that it’s not necessarily the case. what Of course, we are very important, but we teach that, but yes how We are showing up for our children. I think that is the foundation of school’s joy.
How do you model joy in your classroom?
I’ll check in with me before I step into the classroom. I make many assertions before work – prayer, prayer, meditation. If I take care of myself, that’s one way I model Joy. I also greet students at the door every day. I give them embraces, fist bumps, high fives. I model joy by showing my kids, I’m happy you’re here. I’m happy you’re shown up. Even my students who come late can ask either of them, I give them a high five. “You’ve appeared! We missed you,” I cried.
The same applies when students are absent. I tell their parents, we miss your child today. And when the students come back, I am overjoyed to meet them. “We missed you!” I intentionally use the term “we” so students know that we are all part of the learner community. Everyone in our classroom is important and important. And when students aren’t here, it’s like the work is missing.
What are some other practices that teachers can bring joy to the classroom?
Think about ways to inject joy into your curriculum. Ask your students, “What do you want to do? What makes you feel joy?” Take the time to get to know your child.
Or, if you have a lesson you have delivered and you realize that the student is really engaged and really enjoyable, Pause. I look back on that. What’s so fun? As teachers, we move with this sense of urgency. Everything about education is very fast. But we need to slow down. What would have happened when the lesson went smoothly and the kids seemed excited and happy? Once you understand that, continue doing it and inject it into other subjects and lessons.
Also have fun with your colleagues and people in your school building. How can I instill joy in my own classroom, not just in my classroom, but with my teammates? Because kids see how you interact with your teammates. They are extremely observant. They see if you’re having fun, laughing, or having a good time in the middle of your day.
With all connection issues, you talk a lot about the authenticity of the teacher. How does authenticity affect pleasure?
I’m trying to bring my authentic self into the classroom space. I’m stupid. I sing. I’m funny (depending on who you ask). By showing me how authentic I am, it allows students to be free to who they are. When you feel you cannot become who you are, joy is often hampered.
What about when students struggle to find joy?
Being joy-based in your teaching is central to fostering student joy. They pass through each other in a very authentic way. If you are in a place where students struggle to find joy, take the time to reflect, notice and wonder where you will fall on your own joy meter.
Ask the following questions: When did I experience joy as a teacher and modeler for joy in my community? How does joy look and sound to me? Looking back on these questions, give them the gift of joyful support for yourself and your students. It requires intention, but it will make the work done in education even more lenient.
