This is an fascinating moment for those of us who are interested in creativity. Creativity has caught the public eye, and individuals from teachers to politicians are sharing concerns that our test-focused education is choking the creativity out of our schools. As a result, news about creativity is popping up in unexpected places. In July … Continue reading
I just couldn’t resist. I’m not sure why all the schools I’ve ever worked in so totally embraced Valentine’s Day, but they have. (I suspect it may be because I’ve always worked in areas with cold winters and by February we’re all pretty stir crazy, but be that as it may….) Here is an assortment … Continue reading
Last week I asked you to think about the things you do to help your students prepare for, and survive, the times their creative risks don’t play out the ways they’d hoped. Having things fail or getting things wrong is part of human nature–part of life– part of creativity. It was facinating to learn that … Continue reading
One of the most important things we can do to help students exercise their creativity is to teach them how to ask good questions. In particular, if we want them to understand how creativity occurs within the disciplines, we need to help them think about the kinds of questions professionals might ask in the individual … Continue reading
I’ve recently started a new adventure in mosaic art. To say this was an unexpected turn would be a significant understatement. Through the grace and gifts of a talented community education teacher, I’ve been reversing 50+ years of believing I could not possibly do anything worthwhile in the visual arts. It has been more than … Continue reading
This is how it all started. I was 21 years old, teaching in a one-building district in a county populated by more cows than people. And I loved it—muddy playgrounds, missing teeth, purple ditto machines, and all. Many years later, I am still a teacher at heart, though most of my students are earning masters’ … Continue reading
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