Since I posted the first reprise of beginning-of-the-year tips earlier this week, I thought I might as well post this 2015 reprise as well. I know I still need the reminders, so perhaps you do as well. The first set of tips were instructional strategies. These are more global tips for the type of classroom … Continue reading
Sometimes I feel guilty about re-blogging something, but other times I look at old posts and say, “Still true. Still useful.” This time of year, when for many of us the school year is reborn, I always think about how I want to have a good beginning–one that helps my students know what I value. … Continue reading
“I don’t have time to think about creativity. Look at the amount of curriculum I have to cover this year. No time for anything else!” Ever felt like that? I suspect most teachers have. Fortunately, it is not an either-or choice. Really, it’s not. Creativity is not something extra to be pulled out late Friday … Continue reading
My husband has twice played Tevye, the lead role in Fiddler on the Roof. I love the character—his devotion to his family, his devotion to his faith, his flexibility and humor. Several times during the play his daughters bring him dilemmas regarding prospective son-in-laws and he reasons them out, seeking to understand both sides, generally … Continue reading
When I look back at the times I’ve written about play (for example here, and here), it seems I come back to that theme when life gets hard. Life feels hard in the U.S. this week. When my parents and grandparents told me stories of World War II, I never imagined I’d see torch-bearing Nazis … Continue reading
As teachers, it is fun to dream about nurturing the next creative inventor or scientist—perhaps someone who will help us harness pollution to make energy or feed those in areas where drought devastates crops. Or maybe we imagine one of our students thanking us in a Tony award speech, or seeing her writing on a … Continue reading
Today I completed my grades for my university’s summer term, so I’m ready to breathe a big sign of relief and maybe celebrate a bit before I think about the next semester. Maybe that’s why I was so intrigued by a recent article about the amazing variety of official (and semi-official) days we can celebrate, … Continue reading
If curiosity is the beginning of creativity, what does that mean for us in schools? Sadly, as I’ve noted previously, curiosity isn’t necessarily welcomed in many school environments. One of my favorite curiosity researchers, Susan Engel, describes a study in which she and her students set out to learn about how curiosity might be exhibited … Continue reading
Toddlers are the most curious of beings. I’ve been spending time lately with a young girl who spent her first nine months in the hospital and several additional months tethered to a respirator. Now she is two. She still has health issues and breathes through a trach tube in her neck, making it difficult for … Continue reading
What would you do if you wanted to decorate a new restaurant or bar? Where would you go for inspiration or materials? In Budapest, you might look to Szimpla Kert, the original “ruin bar.” While ruin bars are a phenomenon, Szimpla Kert was the first. One website described the interior as “look[ing] as though it … Continue reading
creativiteach 