I was recently invited to write an essay about a pedagogy of joy, an approach to teaching that treats joy as part of learning. I had a visceral reaction and wanted to say, “No, thank you.” But I didn’t, even though I felt my body say it immediately. Instead of brushing it off, I wanted to sit with that feeling and investigate the source of my resistance. Generally speaking, I wouldn’t call myself a pessimist, although there are times when it’s hard not to be. But in higher education, I still have hope, and I still have many moments of joy. I am aware of the role of happiness in learning. A 2006 review article about the neuroscience of positive emotions indirectly supports the notion that positive affect, such as joy, plays an important role in how our attention, motivation, and memory—all of which matter a lot for teaching and learning—work.
