Elizabeth Holmes suggests how schools might drill down into precisely what ‘creativity’ means for both pupils and staff ‘Creativity takes courage.’ Henri Matisse We talk about creativity in the classroom as if it were a widely understood concept, with clear steps towards its achievement and a mutually accepted notion of how creativity works. Can it ever be like that, though? What is the most useful way to consider creativity and the value that it may have in teaching and learning in our classrooms today?
Creativity and critical thinking seem to be intrinsically linked. It is generally accepted that innovative and creative responses to problem-solving require critical thinking skills across the curriculum. Long gone are the days when creativity was thought to be purely the preserve of the arts and humanities. If we want our students to respond creatively to the world about them, then creativity must feature overtly in all aspects of their education.
Underlying all this is a key question: how do we cultivate creativity? Is there a formula? Should we model the way creativity is nurtured in the traditionally creative subjects, such as art, and reflect that across the curriculum? Or should we simply, and most easily, leave creativity to chance? It is helpful for schools to consider these questions and their responses to them. In addition, think about what role professional learning may have in supporting staff to give creativity a higher priority in your school.
The ‘Find out more’ section below details some useful resources, should you decide to make creativity a priority in your school. The following points may also provide food for thought in any in-house discussions on the topic.
Cross-curricular collaborations enable staff and students to experience the creative approaches of others through fresh eyes. Are there ways in which you can readily incorporate these approaches, to determine what benefits you may gain as a school?
Remember that creativity takes courage. It is easy to dismiss it as unnecessary frippery in schools, but is that an excuse for maintaining the status quo? This courage might ideally be felt by both student and teacher, and support for that should be forthcoming. A culture in which failure is feared is unlikely to support the development of creative young minds.
Explore links between creative processes in different fields. Are there pedagogical strategies that can be learned from creative sectors and employed elsewhere in the curriculum? For example, what does creativity in maths look and feel like? Can that offer anything of value to creativity in, say, the humanities – and vice versa?
Question the extent to which outcomes are pursued in your school rather than the process of work. If students have the impression that the only thing that matters is an end result that can be measured, then the process of creating becomes insignificant. When the focus is on the process itself, outcome is not valued so disproportionately.
Be clear about what you are trying to achieve – is it creative teaching or teaching for creativity? (See the research by Jeffrey and Craft detailed below.) Unpicking the terminology will help to focus the mind.
We can be serious about our commitment to creativity or we can simply pay lip service to it. If we are serious, we must acknowledge what a challenge it is, not only in today’s educational climate but also with respect to our regard for the importance of creativity in our own lives. If we don’t value it, then we will never be able to convince children and young people to value it.