The Importance of JOY in Learning

Learning is serious work. Building, growing, and expanding our minds has never been easy. But just because learning is a challenge doesn’t (and shouldn’t) mean it lacks joy. IVA High values joy as a critical component of learning: at our small, tuition free high school you’ll see evidence of this in our work, our interactions and our community. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Let’s take a closer look at how joy impacts learning and how we intentionally weave joy into our days.  

Joy promotes connection and belonging. By sharing joyful moments at school, we strengthen bonds with the people we spend our days with. These strong bonds ensure that every student has a safe place to belong and confidently express themselves.

Joy builds confidence. Mastering a new skill, having an a-ha moment or working through a big concept not only feels good, but also makes us more confident. Increasing student confidence can boost self-esteem, build capacity and strengthen agency–essential traits for students as they enter the world after high school. 

Joy creates memories. In the Neuroscience of Joyful Education, Judy Willis writes that “when we scrub joy and comfort from the classroom, we distance our students from effective information processing and long-term memory storage.” A shared belly laugh has a much greater impact on our memory than a test cram session and leads to true, lasting learning.

Joy decreases stress for teachers and students. Chronic stress hijacks our brain, making learning nearly impossible, and leads to disengagement and lack of motivation. The antidote to stress? Joy. “When students are engaged and motivated and feel minimal stress, information flows freely through the affective filter in the amygdala and they achieve higher levels of cognition,” said Willis.  

Here’s how we cultivate joy at IVA High: 

In the 2022 article A Space for Joy for Harvard Ed. magazine, Decoteau Irby, associate professor of educational policy studies at the University of Illinois stated that “Not only do joy and academic rigor go hand in hand, but tactful educators plan to ensure both happen in tandem.” The highly qualified teachers at IVA High agree. Here are a few ways joy is built into our innovative academic program:

• Clubs, electives and extracurriculars–there’s something for everyone!
• Dances, movie nights and plenty of fun school wide activities
• An affirming and inclusive culture where each student is respected for who they are 
• So many field trips
• Meaningful work, like project-based learning, helps students build authentic connections with peers
• A school building that was intentionally designed to promote collaboration and joyful discovery. Lively discussions = joy at work.

This fall, we invite you to join the other students who have shifted their perspective on school from boring to joyful at IVA High. Contact us to get started or enroll today. 

About IVA High

IVA High is a fully accredited, tuition-free public high school in Long Beach, California with a mission to empower students to think well: creatively, critically, and with a capacity for self-growth. Our learner-centered approach puts students in charge of their education, while dual enrollment and paid internships transform learning into action. Students come for college prep, STEAM and limitless options for their future; they stay for smaller, safer learning in a vibrant, caring community. Join us curious minds & empowered communities.