How to Learn with Joy: Rethinking Student Motivation 🌱🎓

My school badge growing up said, "We Learn with Joy." ✨

It wasn’t just a motto. It was a quiet philosophy woven into everything we did at Kimberton Farms School. And today, I want to begin by thanking that school (now Kimberton Waldorf School) and that message for shaping my journey.

Now, as a teacher, academic life coach, and builder of educational tools, I find myself returning to that phrase often. Because if we’re being honest, many students today don’t learn with joy. They learn with stress. With deadlines. With pressure. With grades that matter more than growth.

And it's not their fault.

Many students have been trained to perform, not to learn. To play the game, not to explore the process. We’ve built systems where effort doesn’t always count—but results do. Where a loophole or a last-minute fix can replace a season of steady growth.

Take, for example, a recent directive from the Board of Education in Warsaw, Poland :

It is unjustified to average the original grade with the improved one. Only the improved grade should count. Original Polish text "Nieuzasadnione jest stosowanie średniej z obu ocen, tj. oceny poprawianej i oceny uzyskanej w wyniku poprawy." (KOG.571.73.2025, May 19, 2025)

On the surface, this sounds generous. But in practice, it undermines the role of consistent effort. It tells students, "Don’t worry about the process—just get it right at the end."

This isn’t malice. It’s part of a deeper shift—from group-centered learning to performance-based individualism. It’s subtle, but the message is loud: only the end product matters.

But that’s not how real learning works.

Real learning is like a garden. If you don’t water and care for it regularly, the harvest won’t come—no matter how much you scramble at the end. You can only reflect and try again next season.

As I sit grading assignments, another troubling pattern stands out: Students increasingly say, “I didn’t know about the assignment”—even if it was clearly given, discussed in class, and part of their ongoing responsibilities. If every detail isn’t perfectly documented, they argue for a higher grade. And under pressure, teachers often concede.

But what are we really teaching?

That it’s okay to tune out, delay responsibility, and avoid effort in the moment—because you can always claim confusion later. Simply being marked present should mean the student was paying attention, taking notes, asking questions. If they were truly engaged, there wouldn’t be misunderstandings to fix six months later.

We’re eroding one of the most important life skills: active listening. As Bernard Baruch once said:

“Most of the successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking.”

In a time of endless information and distractions, the ability to listen—and act on what you hear—isn’t just helpful. It’s essential for success.

That’s why I’m building something new: Gratifu. 💎

Gratifu is a motivation system designed to reward steady effort, visible progress, and internal growth. It’s not just another points app. It’s a reflection of something deeper: our belief that motivation should come from care, not panic.

I’m designing Gratifu using a mindset I call vibe coding. It's not a formal method. It's a creative practice of blending AI tools with human intuition—of building with the tools of the future while staying grounded in the values that matter: joy, growth, and meaningful connection.

This project is personal. It's a way for me to stretch, to learn, and to contribute to a better system. Even if I eventually bring others on to help develop it further, I’ll know it began with intention.

In my book project, I explore the four stages of motivation and learning:

Too many students are stuck in Stage 2. And here’s the problem: when we inflate grades or soften feedback, we may actually prevent them from moving forward. They lose the chance to struggle, reflect, and build the confidence needed to reach Stage 3—where real learning begins.

That’s the shift we need.

If we want a society that values self-direction, creativity, and joy in learning, we need to stop rewarding shortcuts and start celebrating the process. We don’t need more pressure. We need better signals. We need systems that say:

✅ Your effort matters.

📈 Your progress is visible.

😊 And your joy is part of the journey.

Thanks for reading. 🙏

If this message resonates with you, I invite you to join the journey. Take our short survey and help shape the future of Gratifu—for students, parents, and educators alike.

👉 Click here to take the survey

—Benjamin Burg

Founder, Learn Compass