Creativity is a process and way of thinking that is important for everyone, and it’s something we rely on daily. Tapping into different sources of creativity and ways of using it is a skill that should be taught from a young age, which makes the classroom the best place to start fostering it. With many schools experiencing a creativity gap, there has never been a better time to cultivate this essential skill. Here are some ways teachers can do so in the classroom.
Allow Students to Figure Things Out by Themselves
It is understandable why teachers want to help students when they see them struggling with something. Some teachers even step in by demonstrating creative solutions to get students unstuck. This is not a great approach as it does not allow students to discover creative ways of getting a solution to something they are struggling with. It is a good idea sometimes to let students figure things out on their own. Doing so does not mean abandoning them altogether, as they will not be learning if they get frustrated over not getting a solution to a problem. The key is knowing when to step in and when to step back.
Let Them Work on Projects in Groups
Everyone approaches problems differently, especially in creative endeavors. Letting students work on a project in groups can help them learn different approaches from each other, which in turn can help them become more creative.
The project itself also fosters creativity because students have to find a way to complete it in the best way possible. An example of a project that does this is writing and publishing a book together. Using the publishing kits available at Studentreasures.com helps teachers get their students started on a book project. The best thing is that these publishing kits are free, and teachers can order multiple kits depending on how many kids they have in their classrooms.
Choose Flexible Layouts
Students work best in different formats that can include individual assignments, group projects, presentations, and others. Flexible and collaborative layouts can help foster creativity during different activities and learning formats.
Instead of using the rows and columns you find in most schools, teachers can experiment with U-shaped layouts, separate group tables for group projects, or even pods. Feel free to experiment and change the layout often until you find ones that work best for their groups of students, learning styles, and different activities.
Use Open-ended Assignments
Most schools test students using questions that have a single correct answer. While this type of testing works well for facts and data, it doesn’t help with student creativity. Teachers should allow their students to showcase their creativity by substituting this type of testing with open-ended assignments.
When they do, students will devise different ways of getting to a solution.
Let Students Explore Their Curiosity
Every student is curious about different things both inside and outside the classroom. Since students already want to learn more about what they are curious about, teachers should take those learning sessions as opportunities to help students foster their creativity. Students can explore these topics on their own or with the help of their teachers and then share what they have learned with the classroom. The presentations they make provide yet another opportunity for fostering creativity.
Take the Teaching Outside
Where possible and when the weather permits, teachers should also consider teaching outside. Active, exploratory lessons work best under these conditions, and you should pick ones that would not be possible inside the classroom. Outdoor projects like a vegetable garden are also a good idea as they make the learning environment more dynamic.
Use Multimedia Learning Materials
While there is no ditching worksheets and textbooks, teachers should introduce different learning materials into their classrooms. Music, learning gamification software, and music work well for young learners, while online talks and podcasts work well for older students.
Give Feedback
One of the most overlooked ways of fostering creativity is giving feedback. Highly creative students may not know that they are and thus not continue fostering it until a teacher points out why their thinking and solutions are so effective.
Teachers should also leverage peer feedback to help students realize their creativity. Doing so entails letting students offer each other creative feedback. Teachers should create guidelines that ensure the feedback given is helpful and received well by classmates.
Creativity is a critical skill that we use throughout our lives. Teachers can help their students hone this skill so they can keep developing it after they leave school and into their careers.
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