Hi! My name is Joy Guttenberg. You can call me Ms. Joy! I am so excited to be here, and I hope you’ll join me for some super fun classes and sessions! I have a background in early childhood education, and am a substitute teacher for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten classes. Between working at school, babysitting, tutoring, camp counseling, and creating educational media content, I have spent 25 years working, playing, and learning with children of all ages. Some of my favorite things to do are color, draw, craft, cook, bake, and decorate. I spend much of my time organizing, which I find is the key to success. I enjoy teaching these skills and concepts to young minds, and engaging with them on all levels. I have a knack for turning seemingly boring tasks into surprisingly fun and creative adventures, and I love nothing more than sharing these adventures with children. It is in my JOYFUL nature to make every experience fun, bright, and positive, and I look forward to meeting you and working with all of the families and learners on Outschool! 


Whether we are doing an art project or having a breakfast club, my main goals are always to engage with learners in thoughtful conversation, teach critical thinking, emphasize conflict resolution, and inspire self-confidence and love. For example, I truly enjoy talking about what it means to be a sibling and the challenges that come along with it, especially now that we are all spending so much more time together with our families. I love taking topics from our daily lives and putting them into a context of thoughtful learning and discussion. I enjoy working with kids of all ages, and would love to offer a wide range of classes tailored to different age groups


I am certified in childhood safety and development. I spent my undergraduate college years majoring in Early Childhood Education at Syracuse University and Creative Writing at Eugene Lang College for The New School. I was the broker/owner of my own real estate brokerage for 10 years called Joyful Properties, Inc. In addition to helping others buy and sell property, my husband and I bought, renovated, and sold over 30  properties of our own (before all of the house flipping shows were cool!). I started a YouTube channel dedicated to creating fun and educational content for children, where I learned important skills like video recording, editing, and publishing. As you may have noticed, I never stop learning, growing, and trying new things!


My signature speciality is crafting, using everyday things I find around the house. Friends and family refer to me as Mary Poppins because I always seem to have on hand exactly what someone is looking for, or at least the ideas to get us there. I prefer to make everything homemade, from birthday cards and presents to wallpaper to placemats to desserts! I find such joy using my hands and heart to create something that I or someone I know will use in everyday life. It also is a great way to practice being frugal, both literally and figuratively. What if we couldn't run to the store or order something online that we needed? Our homes are chock full of amazing things that we hardly think about, but once we view them in a new way, and give them a new purpose, they magically transform into wonderful works of art and useful items! I am passionate about so many different things, but a focus on mindful arts and crafts would definitely be a strong suit. And speaking of mindful, I enjoy teaching kids the importance of energy, in calming ourselves, creating a relaxing and soothing environment, free of judgement and a "coulda, woulda, shoulda" mentality.