Fostering Creativity in K-12 Students
Higher-Level Cross-Curricular Learning Occurs in Creative Classrooms
Jan 12, 2009
Despite the current emphasis on high-stakes testing and ongoing computerized assessment, teachers who make the effort to foster creativity in their classrooms reap the reward of students who think more deeply about what they’re learning and make the strong connections between concepts and information that ultimately lead to real understanding. The following seven principles, easily incorporated into daily lesson plans, create a classroom environment where creative learning can happen.
Plan Open-Ended Tasks
Each content area has projects that can be restructured into open-ended tasks that require creative responses. In the beginning, set a goal of providing at least one opportunity per unit for a creative project; and have students choose their own ways of demonstrating learning. Examples include Book Responses, where students create something that demonstrates their understanding of a book or chapter; Inquiry-Based Learning, where students are presented with an issue, conduct research, and report on their findings; and Self-Interest Projects, where students pursue an area of interest and creatively demonstrate what they’ve learned.
Provide Extra Time
Many students have limited experience with creative exploration and may take longer to let go of their inhibitions and trust their instincts. Teachers should encourage creative time spent at home as well as in the classroom, provide checkpoints on work done at home so that procrastinators do not fall behind, and allow sharing as students work, so that time spent in the classroom becomes more valuable. Teachers should understand that time is a necessary component of creativity and is never wasted when spent on the creative process.
Accept Different Ideas
In a creative classroom, teachers accept lots of ideas, knowing that it is in quantity that the real gems are found. They encourage experimentation and celebrate mistakes as necessary steps on the way to learning. When students feel free to “play” with their ideas, make mistakes, and start over when necessary, the creative process flourishes.
Limit Examples
In a similar vein, teachers should limit the number of examples they provide. Some students will consider examples as replicas to copy and will never trust their own ideas enough to try them. If examples must be given, provide several different types of responses to the same project so that creativity is encouraged.
Provide a Variety of Materials and Media
Students are typically savvy in the use of technology and other media for classroom projects. Provide as many different options as possible when having students develop their own projects, and if necessary, utilize the assistance of the a media resource person to encourage the creative use of film, computer technology, music, or other media.
Encourage Individual Talents
Watch carefully for the individual talents each student possesses. Encourage group work where students may learn to value each other’s abilities and also creatively synthesize their talents into a finished product. Look for opportunities to further develop their talents, rather than just addressing academic weaknesses.
Model the Creative Process
Teachers who model the creative process in their own lives provide the best example of all. Discuss examples of creative problem-solving, demonstrate the fun in creating bulletin boards or other displays, and let students see the adaptation of ideas and how teachers can learn from their mistakes, too.
Further Reading
Bouchard, Lorraine. “100 Ways to Increase Creativity.” Gifted Education International, March, 1999. p. 243-49.
Lynch, Mervin and Harris, Carol. Fostering Creativity in Children, K-8: Theory and Practice. Des Moines, IA: Allyn & Bacon, 2001.
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