Meeting Pattern

• Meet August 5th from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. @ Growing Small Towns, 510 Main Avenue, Oakes, ND

Description

Reconnect with your purpose, revive your teacher joy, and knock out a few items from your teacher to-do list.

Let’s create more JOY in teaching and learning. That may sound “silly,” but joy is critical to your well-being in the classroom. The Joy Lab is a practical, applicable PD that provides a whole day of focused designing, planning, and prepping for all K-12 educators. You’ll identify something you’d like to do to make teaching and learning more joyful then earn continuing education credit for doing it. 

You will:

• Reflect on the 2025-26 school year;
• Identify frustrations limiting your (& student's) ability to thrive;
• Brainstorm resources, tools, and strategies that can help;
• Tap into the expertise of fellow educators for inspiration & feedback;
• Design a lesson, activity, unit, or system to improve teaching & learning for 2026-27;
• Earn continuing education credit for rethinking, redesigning, or creating something new for your classroom.

Come solo or with a team to tackle a shared goal! Teaching is hard. PD shouldn’t be.

Syllabus, Objectives, and Outcomes

Objectives:

You will:

• Outline a vision for the 2026-27 school year that maximizes JOY while providing work/life balance;
• Identify frustrations that are limiting your (& student's) ability to thrive;
• Brainstorm resources, tools, and strategies that can help;
• Tap into the expertise of fellow educators for inspiration & feedback;
• Design a lesson, activity, unit, or system to improve teaching & learning. 

Materials:

Text: The Joy Lab Journal (will be provided)

Required Student Resources

1. Computer
2. Access to our Google Classroom - email darbakkegard@gmail.com to be added.
3. Reliable Wifi connection

4. Complete preworkshop questionnaire & Reflection activities (in questionnaire)

Testimonials:

"DARCY IS TRULY PASSIONATE ABOUT IMPROVING THE LIVES OF OTHERS AND CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH SIMILIAR GOALS."

"IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO NETWORK WITH OTHER EDUCATORS AND DISCUSS CHALLENGES AS WELL AS COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS THAT HAVE HAD PROVEN SUCCESS IN THEIR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES."

"I LOVED THIS COURSE, IT WAS JUST WHAT I NEEDED."

"I ENJOYED THE ATMOSPHERE, THE ABILITY TO GET OUT FOR A WALK TO DISCUSS OUR THOUGHTS, AND ALL THE EXTRA LITTLE SUPPLIES THAT WERE GIVEN TO US. THANK YOU FOR ENCOURAGING US TO LET OTHERS KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE TO US."

"THIS CLASS WAS PERFECT! I LOVED THE WAY IT WAS PRESENTED, HOW I DIDN'T FEEL PRESSURED OR OUT OF PLACE AND I REALLY ENJOYED THE WAY WE WERE ENCOURAGED TO FOCUS ON A SOLUTION. WE WERE GIVEN TIME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT WOULD HELP OUR OWN SPECIFIC NEEDS. IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THIS CLASS RIGHT BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED AND HAVE A FRESH SENSE OF 'JOY' .