Joy: A Subject Schools Lack

The general argument made by Susan Engel in her work, Joy: A Subject Schools Lack, is that joy is treated as an enemy to learning. More specifically, Engel argues that the joy in learning is a necessity in a child's education, not just an option or an obstacle. She writes, “Decades of research have shown that in order to acquire skills and real knowledge in school, kids need to want to learn.” In this passage, Engel is suggesting that students need to be interested in what they're learning in order to take the information given to them and process it. In conclusion, Susan Engel’s belief is that pleasure is needed in order for students to learn.

In my view, Susan Engel is right, because I can relate as a student. More specifically, I believe that finding pleasure in what you're trying to learn has always been an important part of learning, and it needs to be reenforced into the education system. For example, students, from what I've seen, learn more easily when they're more interested in what they're doing.. Although some might object that and say that it's possible for students to learn if they just concentrate and work harder, I maintain that it's easier for me to learn in the classes I have taken interest into, like my chemistry class for example. Therefore, I conclude that pleasure and joy should be a part of the school and education system as a catalyst for students' learning.