What is that thing you want to do but can’t quite manage? What do you want to do but haven’t conquered—yet? What’s the difference between those ideas? Recently I wrote about the links between a growth mindset and the kinds of motivation related to creativity. A growth mindset holds that abilities change and grow through … Continue reading
One of my favorite moments for not-exactly-guilty pleasures is any time I spend in a waiting room browsing magazines. Those few minutes before a dentist or hair stylist appointment give me the chance to explore publications I don’t have time to read during the rest of my hectic life. Recently while browsing Better Homes and … Continue reading
What has more than 25,000 participants in 10 countries and inspires creative play with things usually thrown away? The Global Cardboard Challenge! It is that time of year again, and this time I hope I’ve finally managed to post the information in plenty of time to use it. Inspired by the YouTube video sensation Caine’s … Continue reading
Not long ago I wrote about how depressed I was by a Washington Post article titled, “Can Kickstarter save arts education?” It was full of gloomy statistics: Nearly one in 10 U.S. secondary schools has no music program. Eleven percent don’t teach art. More than half have cut theater. Nine in 10 have cut … Continue reading
One of the classic questions in the creativity strategy Synectics is “What animal is like….?” Or “What in nature is like….?” The problem at hand is compared to something in nature that solves a similar problem. There is wisdom in nature. You probably all know the story of Swiss inventor George de Mestral, whose examination … Continue reading
I’ll admit it—Jimmy Fallon is bad for my sleep cycle. My late-night theatrical husband returns home right about Fallon-time and the temptation to watch just for a while….well, let’s just say I sometimes succumb. Recently, while watching Fallon’s “Wheel of Musical Impressions” with Adam Levine, I realized I was seeing a unique—and very funny—use of … Continue reading
Think of the difference between these two questions. How did you do? What did you learn? Which one will help students be more successful in school (and life)? Which will help them be more creative? The idea of mindsets, introduced by Carol Dweck, says that there are two basic ways to look at our abilities. … Continue reading
How smart are you? Really. How smart do you think you are? How do you know? What about your students? How smart are they? How smart to they think they are? Does it matter? Psychologists use a lot of intertwining ideas to describe how we think about ourselves, our abilities, and our capacity for change: … Continue reading
This is Part 2 of my resolutions for a creative new school year. Perhaps, like me, you have more success writing resolutions—at least professional ones—in September. If so, come along and think with me. This year I’m trying to think in broader terms about the types of classroom I want to establish. For more specific … Continue reading
I’ve never been good at traditional New Year’s Resolutions. Somehow, coming on the heels of the most intense time of year—when holiday and end-of-semester craziness merge—by January 1 I’m more inclined to be grateful for survival than set new goals. But September is different. Even when I’m teaching summer term, the end of August brings … Continue reading
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