IMPORTANCE OF JOYFUL LEARNING

Beautiful were the days, which comprised of things and segments that held our interest, patience, acceptance and willingness. It inculcated an accepted feeling to run for School, without any fear or insecurity. The classes, the enriching fragments, the smell of participations and the sweet sweat of learning outcomes were overwhelming.

 Every corner of education, was filled with innovations, expressions and thoughts which were the fresh breathers for every little heart, worn out with black boards and notebook writings.

If we go back to our school days and think which was our favourite period or session, many of us come with drawing or art as the answer. And we all know why.

An art or drawing class always seemed to be a relaxed one, with no pressures and most importantly lets us be ourselves. The joy of choosing what to draw, the freedom of using colours of our choice and doing it together with our peers was special; the teachers on the other hand also helped each one of us and thus, there was more one to one interaction.

This same joy is needed in every class and every subject to make learning more easy and efficient. Joyful learning is an important part of education in every institution and even at home. When a mind is free from stress or pressure, it is open to new ideas, kids can comprehend them better and retain it longer.  They also are able to come up with their own ideas and connect it with the real world.

Have we ever realized that a child seems to be weak in some subject or no interest in it; however, after a certain period he/she shows some positive change? Or sometimes, a shy and quiet kid starts participating in classroom activities. Why do we think that would have happened? There is of course the child’s effort but what motivated the child is the environment in the class. Either the teacher or the teaching method would have changed. What happens inside the classroom has a deep and lasting effect on the child's mind-set. We never forget what we learn with joy, it becomes more of a fun activity than a learning task. I remember dreading Maths for half of my school life till I got a teacher in my 10th standard who made it absolutely interesting. Not only was I able to solve difficult sums but I was always eager to attempt even more difficult ones and successfully solved them thus improving my scores in exams. In other words, I started loving Maths.

Now how do we make learning joyful is the question. How do we make subjects interesting? How do we make the kids enthusiastic?

Pleasure –  No matter how difficult a subject is, if the learning process is joyful, kids develop interest in it and are ready to learn it.  Let there be more laughter in the class. Even a teacher would like smiling faces rather than dull and confused ones.

Music & Rhythm –  Remember how we used to memorize the number tables? I am sure you must be singing it in your mind while reading this. Now, we do not say learn everything by singing but everyone connects to music easily. Ask students to relate situations or a topic to a song or a tune which they like. It helps them learn faster and retain it longer.

Offer Choices –  NAnother helpful way is to give a choice to students. Let them decide a topic or lesson they want to study for a day. Let them decide whether they want to write or read about it. Once they decide, then we can always guide them and correct wherever they go wrong.

Encourage creating things –  A child's mind is like a galaxy full of ideas. Let them bring out those ideas by creating stuffs in the form of pictures, presentations, brochures, magazines, plan models, diagrams, graphs, videos, songs and many more. These will help them to learn faster and better rather than just reading and writing.

Display students work –  Teachers should always encourage students by displaying their work in the school space. This makes them feel included and motivated. One can easily figure out what has been taught or has been happening in the class by looking at the work displayed.

Holistic approach –  Learning is much more efficient when we work with a holistic approach. Learning in classrooms becomes more relatable when kids incorporate them in their day to day activities or behaviour or vice versa.

Getting out –  We should try not to restrict learning only to classrooms. Once in a while, let's just go out and sit in a completely different environment to refresh and rejuvenate ourselves. Nature has a lot to offer in the form of a cool breeze or a warm sunny day and you never know what might work as a miracle. Learning is not limited. Similarly joy is also not limited to just the above factors. Educators should always try to design and create lesson plans in such a way that the rote learning and activity go hand in hand. Some interactive sessions, games or fun experiments, music and role plays can make learning joyful and a completely different experience which will definitely make children interested and eager learners. "Joy is a net of souls by which you can catch souls." – Mother Teresa

Let’s build a fine periphery towards the new era education, knowledge that holds our mind, integrity that creates a bridge for values and balance our learning, with joy in our hearts!