Creativity and Learning

I was watching a documentary on The Teaching Channel called, "Art Essentials" If you have some time, I encourage you to take a minute to watch it.  The amazing teachers are inspiring.



And, here's an article I think you'll enjoy reading from John Hopkins School of Education written by Dr. Rosa Aurora Chavez-Eakle M.D., Ph. D., May 2010, on The Relevance of Creativity.

http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/Journals/spring2010/therelevanceofcreativityineducation/


Reflection:

I've been teaching at the middle school level for the past 11 years. Before that I taught elementary students. I've noticed that middle schoolers enjoy creating as much as primary kids. The beauty of middle school is that students bring more experiences and life lessons to the table. However, many times middle schoolers are more self-conscious about their skills and abilities. The challenge is to motivate and encourage them to be risk takers. This kind of risk-taking atmosphere is not an easy task. It begins with me. I have to be a risk-taker and demonstrate to my students how to celebrate success and failure. Perfection is impossible to achieve. I strive to do my very best at the moment with what I know and what I want to know. The next time, I use what I've learned to do better. With this modeled, it flows to the kids. In my experience, for this to happen we must all feel safe. Building a classroom culture of respect, encouragement and mentorship is vital. Each year takes on a different tone because the dynamics of the group is different. Nonetheless, creating a safe, engaging and risk-taking environment is a daily objective, in addition to everything else. When we can transform attitudes such as apathy and indifference to risk taking and creative engagement, then we have made a lasting influence not only in our kids, but in ourselves.