Local teacher pens tome on ‘Joyful Learning’
By Heather Milo
Acorn Staff Writer

Teacher, author Gail Small

Thousand Oaks teacher Gail Claudia Small knows how it helps to have a creative mind in the classroom and wishes to share her enthusiasm for teaching with her students and peers.

Her new book, "Joyful Learning: No One Ever Wants to Go to Recess," is due in October and chronicles such mirthful stories as the student with the toy piano who became a concert artist, and the boy who for several months didn’t speak a word of English, but drew mountains to tell the story of his family’s escape from Czechoslovakia.

Small wrote "Joyful Learning" to stress her belief that the creativity and individuality in every student should be developed. The book is for teachers, parents, counselors, caregivers and children.

With its ample supply of stories and photos, the volume covers how to create a positive environment of "nonstop discovery and learning" and aims to inspire everyone who walks into the classroom. Small focuses on self-esteem, lifetime achievement and an acceptance of the different ways students learn and communicate. Most importantly, she puts an emphasis on the enthusiasm of the teacher.

"You can always put energy into motivating a child," she said.

A Barnes & Noble book signing is scheduled for Oct. 16.

Even the book’s cover has story behind it.

A student in one of her classes seemed only interested in doodling and Small thought the boy was bored and that he felt like no one listened to him. Upon further inspection, she found that when the student doodled, he listened better. She told him that as long as he listened he could be free to draw.

"That is when he learned it was okay to be who he is," she said. "He ended up being a really solid student."

The pupil was artist Jeff Mihaly, who now attends animation school. And his drawing of an effervescently cheerful puppy graces the cover of Small’s "Joyful Learning."

The choice of Mihaly’s art for the book cover was a stroke of serendipity as Small had nothing to do with the decision. The publisher chose Mihaly’s picture out of a pile of illustrations.

An equally interesting occasion arose when Small was asked to introduce a speaker at an event for the American Association of University Women. "On Your Toes" was the theme of the event and Small discovered that main speaker, Tristan Gire, had been a student in her first grade class. She remembered Gire as being intensely focused on ballet to the point where the girl would write about and dream about the art form.

Rather than requiring Gire to turn to other topics, Small encouraged the ballet theme as long as the girl fulfilled her regular academic requirements.

Gire went on to become a prima ballerina in the Nutcracker Ballet.

Personally, Small feels as though she is the subject of an ongoing treasure hunt. "Kids keep finding me," she said, and the former students prove to Small just how effective her classroom creativity can be.

Small said one of her reasons for writing "Joyful Learning" is to put the joy and creativity back into teaching. She enjoys bringing mundane subjects to life.

In math, for example, Small had her class figure out the distance to the Staples Center, as it had just been completed at that time. From there, the students calculated different routes to get to the center and worked with numbers such as game scores and the jersey numbers of their favorite basketball players.

Enthusiasm has been the fuel and the mantra that motivate Small. She’s been around the world giving talks to spread the word on "Joyful Learning."

A teacher in the Conejo Valley for 34 years, Small recently was a Fulbright Memorial Scholar to Japan and was honored by the Conejo teachers union at their June dinner.