Creativity in the Classroom

During the past month, I’ve shared my thoughts and some research on the topic of creativity.  Many school districts are incorporating creativity into core values and student goals.  My district has included the 21^st century habits of mind in our strategic plan, including creative and critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, communication, and empathy/cultural awareness/global understanding.  Art teachers may proudly declare “We already do that!” but without articulating how learners develop these skills, the claim is unfounded. 

Pottery, formed and painted by a kindergarten student, shows original thinking in the choice of surface decorations.

The learning environment is a promising landscape for creative student work when the teacher can:

• Recognize creative work as original and unique
• Value open-ended outcomes
• Facilitate for choices of media and subject matter
• Encourage self-directed learning by teaching strategies for independence
• Embrace emergent curriculum that arises from students’ discoveries
• Shift the locus of control from teacher to learner

A student pauses to reflect on his drawing, while a classmate works on a different topic, combining drawing with collage.

Learners are more likely to exhibit creative behaviors in the classroom when they can:

• Define problems through inquiry
• Think divergently
• Engage in topics of personal relevance
• Persevere unconditionally when intrinsically motivated
• Take risks and grow from mistakes without fear of consequences
• Collaborate in self-selected groups
• Feel autonomous

 

Students form collaborate groups to meet the needs of their work.  This student is one of five working on large-scale dragon drawings, an activity that engaged the group for many weeks.

Thank you for this opportunity to share my observations about creativity with the NAEA membership.  Special appreciation goes to Linda Scott, whose expert stewardship of the NAEA website provides interactive professional learning for art educators.  I look forward to the upcoming Monthly Mentors and encourage you to volunteer soon. 

Diane Jaquith
Burr Elementary School
Newton, MA
didij@aol.com