Fostering Creativity in the Classroom: Part 1, Introduction

Why the interest in fostering creativity?

I have always loved the arts: drawing and painting, sculpture and writing. As a teenager, I could immerse myself for hours at a time in a novel or in front of an easel. Dissuaded by poor job prospects of art majors, I began my undergraduate degree, studying engineering and science. However, I really did not enjoy it, and, after investing 3 years in that pursuit, I changed my major to Art History. I was so happy!
When my family and friends (rightly) questioned my choice, wondering about the “waste” of 6 semesters of science education, I vehemently disagreed. I felt as if the analytical thinking that I had learned in my upper level science classes had trained me to look for patterns and connections, a very useful skill in my new major. I found it fascinating how transferable those competencies were, even in majors as different as art history and engineering. Years later, when interviewing for teaching jobs, I was asked (with raised eyebrows) about that odd change in majors. But even in my early 20s, I was able to highlight the distinction between content and skills, the universality of critical thinking, and the importance of interdisciplinary connections.

Nurturing Creativity in the Classroom

I have been thinking about the nature of creativity a lot over this past year. After all, my website, Reimagined Schools, has the subtitle: “fostering growth, creativity, and individuality.” But I’m not a fine arts teacher; so why should I care? Because creative thinkers are needed in all fields! Florida (2002, 2005) argues that it is fundamentally the road to the future for us as a society. Sternberg (2002) made the case that creativity is a key ingredient in having a successful life” (Smith and Smith, 2010). Over the years, I have tried to assess creativity but it has been difficult. It feels so subjective. 

All I know is that school tends to make students seek one correct answer instead of considering multiple possibilities. If we spend 11 years asking for this type of compliance from students, how exactly are we to nurture creativity, and what is it anyway? Might creativity be the antidote to this compliance? Can creativity be developed in the 9-12 classroom, and if so, how? Should creativity be assessed? If so, what are the criteria and structures that we can/should use? If not, what can/should be done instead?

Assessing Creativity in Education

Over the next several weeks, I will be posting a series of inquiries that will first take us through the various facets of research so we better understand what is known already. Then, my favorite part: designing one or more learning progressions to try to guide students in their development. 

I hope that this is something interesting to you! I think that this applies to teaching students of all ability levels, of all subjects, and of all grade levels. We all want as much student innovation and originality as possible. How can we do so given the other constraints and requirements that we must fulfill?

Join me as I attempt to answer all of these questions (and more). Please submit your own observations, methods, and questions in the comments section. I am eager to hear what you think.

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