Unearthing The Joy and Genius of Dr. Gholdy Muhammad
As we sit here, typing away at our desks, we can’t help but reminisce about the thrill of recording our latest podcast episode.
It was a Tuesday evening, a time when we are usually lesson planning and organizing for the next day’s classes. On this particular Tuesday, however, we had something extra special planned. We were going to be recording a podcast episode with Dr. Goldy Muhammad, the author of Unearthing Joy.
This was a moment of pure excitement for us, as it had been an adventurous pursuit to finally find a time when all three of us could connect to share in a conversation about teaching, “cultivating genius,” and “unearthing joy” in education.
As we prepared to record, we ensured that our Rodecaster podcast gear was set up to perfection. We fiddled with the levels and the sound, ensuring that every word that was going to be spoken would be captured in crystal clear quality. With the technicalities out of the way, we took a moment to get ourselves mentally prepared for the recording.
We listened to some Marvin Gaye records, soaking in the soulful beats and the soul-stirring lyrics, letting the music get us in the zone. As we swayed to the rhythm, we felt a sense of peace wash over us, and we were ready to face whatever the night had in store for us. We closed our eyes, took a deep breath, and let the music get us settled and ready to record. The record player came to a stop, and the room was filled with a sense of anticipation. We hit the “record” button, and the journey began.
Chey: We both are — very nervous!
Gholdy: What- about me? What? Why are you nervous? Don’t be nervous.”
Chey: Deep breath, deep breath…
Pav: You’re a celebrity in our world, Gholdy!
Gholdy: You talk to me like I’m your sister that you never knew your whole life!
The conversation was filled with wisdom from Dr. Muhammad, who shared her inspirations behind her book. It was motivating to hear her talk about the growing need to find, bring, and reclaim joy in education. Her message was clear: it’s not only about ensuring our students feel joy, but also about creating a learning environment where everyone feels validated and celebrated.
Gholdy: “I just kind of assumed we all were showing up with joy, having joy, thinking about joy. I made that assumption. But then I went back to my data, which was historical artifacts, and I said, ‘let me see what they said about joy.’ And it became like a fifth pursuit — it became the ultimate goal for education for me, for my work, and it really developed into this new book, “Unearthing Joy.” Which is a book that adds that fifth layer to our teaching and learning — but with Joy being very prominent in the book, as being like — this is why we show up! This is why we do the work that we do. Not just for the joy of our children and our community, but for the joy of ourselves! Because teachers deserve joy, and leaders deserve joy.”
As a teacher, it can be challenging to bring joy to the classroom when one is struggling to find it themselves. But this conversation with Gholdy helped us understand the importance of prioritizing everyone’s joy in the learning space. Her book is a beautiful representation of this idea, as it’s not just a step-by-step guide, but a work of art in its own right. With musical playlists, colouring pages, and intricate details spreaded throughout, the book models how to find joy through creativity and inclusion.
One of our favourite moments was when Gholdy and Pav reflected about the reclaiming and honouring of their names. They each shared personal anecdotes about times when they felt confident and proud to use their names, rather than deviating to nicknames or shortened versions. It was a poignant reminder of the power of our names and the importance of celebrating who we are.
Pav: Because my name journey has been, you know, at times, a difficult one. And sort of owning that piece of my identity has been very meaningful to me, as a part of my journey. So, I love to hear when people talk about their names, and their full names, and owning their name and sharing their name with people.
We highly recommend “Unearthing Joy,” not just for the content but for the authenticity it represents of Dr. Gholdy Muhammad as a teacher, leader, and human being. The hour and a half we spent with her is an experience that will forever resonate in how we teach, present, and envision the world. Thank you, Gholdy, for the joy you bring to every conversation and for being a shining example of the power of joy in education.
You can visit our webpage at CheyandPav.com to listen to the entire episode and all our educational content.
