Often a well-intentioned, yet unskillful attempt at facilitating a meaningful group experience can leave one or more children wishing that they could somehow escape. Our questions should never feel like an interrogation. If a child ends up feeling this way, they will be even less willing to join a similar group the next time that possibility arises. The worst thing that can be done in such a case is to have a teacher or administrator demand continued across the board participation. Sometimes an individual child is simply not interested in a particular investigation. If things are not going well, we need to stop, and figure our why.  

The long term sense of well-being and security of each young child should always take precedence over an adult’s agenda. The balance point of this equation continues to shift as students mature.  One of the primary responsibilities and most challenging parts of our job is to help children become comfortable, competent, and more open to new experiences and opportunities to problem solve without causing them to never want to try that activity again. We must make certain that the work offered is engaging, satisfying, and developmentally appropriate, not just something which looks good.

In the time since the death of Loris Malaguzzi, the phrase “Nothing Without Joy” has in some circles been modified. It is now more frequently presented as “Nothing Without Joy, if possible.” The author sees this as a most distressing turn of events. He feels quite certain that if Professor Malaguzzi was still with us, there would be no such attempt at qualifying or amending this fundamental and most essential premise.

Taking this position does not imply that our young students should never be asked to try once more or that they will not have to deal with any disappointments. It does not mean that they will always get their way. Many children struggle with the necessity of having a clean up time, for example, or not being able to always be first in line, or not being allowed to monopolize every classroom conversation. These are GIVEN parts of the maturation process which come with joining nearly every learning community. 

Most children learn rather quickly that though they may have to wait, they will in time get a turn, and then feel a bit better. If the overall balance of

emotional ups and downs of any given day is good, the child will most likely look forward to their next day at school with great anticipation, and even joy.