ABSTRACT
Presented as a form of dialogue between teacher and student, this chapter delineates the intentional ‘hacking’ of a traditional discipline (rhetoric) in direct response to the disconcerting levels of student disconnection and depression expressed in the wake of the pandemic. By deliberately centering joy (in the form of analyzing, writing, and performing stand-up comedy), the instructor hoped to build classroom community and foster healing. After describing that course design process, the authorial voice shifts, and a former student from the class takes up the narrative, describing the transformational effects of joyful learning. In reflecting upon his past personal and educational experiences, Beharry calls back to the focus of second chapter. In discussing how his life trajectory changed after experiencing joy-informed pedagogy, he offers a testimonial to its effects.
