Creativity in the Classroom: Why and How

elephantpaintingIn the busy worlds of schools and families, we don’t have for unimportant things. With test scores to raise, and the responsibility to teach everything from desk organization to Internet safety, isn’t creavity just one more thing?

No. In fact, it might just be the thing. There are many reasons we need creativity for a healthy society–not to mention a healthy economy–but here we will talk just about creativity and learning. For the truth is, learning and creativity are inextricably intertwined. If we want students to learn with depth and understanding, creativity is an essential part of the picture. If you’d like to learn more, there are two ways to start.

The Creativity in the Classroom Model briefly overviews the theoretical relationships among creativity, motivation, and learning for understanding. If you want to begin with the WHYs of creativity in the classroom, this is a place to start. Start with the overview, then explore the connections for each aspect of the model.

If you are more interested in the HOWs, 3 Keys to Creativity in the Classroom gives you three major ways to begin to think about creativity in schools.

And, of course, each week I blog about supporting creativity, in ways big and small. Sometimes posts are theoretical, more often they include suggestions for activities to support creativity from preschool through adulthood. Always, they’ll be better with your contributions, so come on down!

15 thoughts on “Creativity in the Classroom: Why and How

  1. What rings a bell for me is when it states that if we want students to learn with depth and understanding, creativity is essential. For years, teachers have equated learning to mastery of a rubric.

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  2. The way most of us teach is not teaching the kids to be creative, but instead it’s more rote learning. We all should want more in-depth understanding which will also encourage more creativity in students. I’m anxious to try that this year.

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  3. If we are not teaching content so that students can use that content in new ways, then we are not effective. We much lead students to use creativity to learn the content so it can be used effectively.

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  4. There’s always room in the content for creativity, we, the teachers should allow students to see our creativity in our modeling. It will give them license to be creative as well!

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  5. Our little ones minds are unlimited and so more when they are gifted. We should open even more the window for them to express their creativity thru learninig.

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  6. We need more creativity in the classroom. Creative writing is still very important and needed for all types of learners.

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  7. Creativity is vital in the classroom because it is the catalyst that jumpstarts the students learning. When its presented in the lesson, it helps students remember the lesson and it keeps the students heavily engaged.

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  8. I would be interested in the small ways you can add creativity to your classroom for all classes. I would hope to see sparks or beginnings of engagement.

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  9. it is up to us teachers to provide different opportunities and time for our students to be creative. Without creativity our students will not grow to be successful adults and help our economy.

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  10. This text emphasizes the vital role of creativity in education, arguing that it enhances deep learning and individual growth. it offers valuable insights for educators to integrate creativity into their teaching practices.

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