Promoting Creativity in the Classroom - Letter Example

Introduction

I am a former student of this school of the 1991-1992 lot. I am writing this letter to express my concerns about the need to incorporate creativity and maximum student engagement in the classroom.

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Some the international state schools have some privileges over normal public schools. These privileges are unspoken rules or expectations that their tutors have to ensure they provide an effective educational service for their kids.The right combination involving creativity alongside the current education curriculum will not. A student graduating from a creative classroom developed more in both his academic and social skills make him a more competent candidate than a student who just passed through the standard curriculum learning. Teaching can be tiresome as well as annoying at some point especially if the students do not participate in anything. Therefore, teachers should be in the first lane embracing creativity in their classrooms since it will make their work more comfortable and better than it is now. Singapore is topping the world in the education league and is in the forefront advocating for creativity in their schools. In this fast-paced world is only the innovative and flexible to any to any new technological advancement that will survive.

Results from a 2013research undertaken by a team of Creative Learning Environments in Education for the Scottish Government indicated that teachers should first chance their preconceptions about what really being creative in class means so that a creative environment in schools to be productive. It was a surprise that through questionnaires most teachers described their creative levels too high just because they know to play like three different musical instruments, or when they are good in both teaching and sports, or when they can create a poem in a day.

Teachers should encourage a creative environment in the classrooms by; planning their classes two weeks prior can help the teacher come up with a creative way on how to deliver the content to the students that will also have the students participate. Try also to relate the topic to student's interests and hobbies. Make the subject give the students the freedom to explore their creative minds and even frame it in a way that will test their problem-solving skills. Make the students aware of the goal of that class and help them in the direction needed to tackle the task. If the work gets too simple, you can introduce some constraints like make it a game where the first team to accomplish the assignment right wins or set up a time limits. Tutors should always make sure the students are participating in questions, suggestions or even negotiating topics and assignment deadlines. Appreciating every student's idea will create a free environment where every student can be adventurous to his own limits. Sometimes as a teacher you may need to keep your plan away and just let the moment flow but also be flexible to incorporate the objective of the lesson with the flow. Make sure you maximize entertainment that lesson can provide to the students including internet, field trips/theaters or even meeting with the professionals in that field of study. Help the students know what knowledge you expect they are supposed to have by the end of the class. Discuss with them on the most common mistakes amongst their work and try helping them how to get over it.

A creative classroom will make every student active since the normal pressure of learning is not there anymore. Students also find opportunities to express themselves due to positive peer pressure challenge since he will be the only one left out when all other students have a say in class activities. This freedom gives a satisfying feeling to the student as if he owns the class. Having a boring class will mean that by the end of the first 20 minutes every student will have diverted his focus and attention somewhere else. Therefore, as a teacher, you will have lost your objectives of the day to deliver the class content to students. Including creative strategies to your teaching schedules like short dramas, games or field trips you will increase students' concentration and an improvement in their grades as well. Creativity will also help students see things surrounding them in a different perspective since they are at a constant pressure of relating what they see daily with class content, and this acts as a first step in developing their innovation skills. Brainstorming sessions help the teacher shape the students thinking capacities are ensuring good problem-solving skills. In times of stress and anxiety, this student will have a better chance of controlling his emotions more imaginatively and innovatively focusing on solving the problems at all possible perspectives that comes to mind. Creativity will also improve a student's social and communication skills since the skills of formal and informal talking, negotiating and other social skills that will help them prosper in the job market. Finally giving students the freedom to explore their ideas will ease at realizing what their passions or talents are, and with through proper guiding, they will be in turn be the most successful in their respective abilities.

A chemistry teacher wanted to introduce a topic about gases. He then came to class an earlier time before classtime with cards that he handed them over to every student, and wrote on the board that "This will be a silent class. Write down answers in your notebook to the questions I gave you." He came back later with acrobats incorporating their art with burning different elements that produced different colors, smells, and sounds. The performance was working well with emotions, fun, and symbolism. The teacher was video recording the whole time and a projected text on the board reminding students to keep writing what they observed. After watching the video two times, the teacher discussed the answers with the class, and he was amazed that combining the student's responses he had all the characteristics of these elements he wanted his students to learn. I liked how he delivered the content it was easy, fun, entertaining and its hard for the students to forget these concepts when they during tests.

In another physics class, a teacher asked brought a modeling test to the students and asked them to use the plasticine that he gave out to model anything that will describe or portray the different forces that we experience in everyday life.It was free to design as many structures as they want since there was enough plasticine provided. A group of three girl students came up with a story that involved two boys fighting and one beautiful girl seated waiting. They explained that their story relates to the keyword falling. In a typical sense, you can view it as if both of these two boys were falling in love with the same girl and decided to fight so that the winner takes the girl. But in a more profound meaning, they were explaining forces that act o a falling object.. there are gravity and air resistance. Therefore if gravity exceeds air resistance, the object will fall to the ground and vice versa. Not only did this girl students solved their test but it also reinforced their critical thinking skills with reflection to their daily life.

Conclusion

Studying to pass exams is not the objectives why we go to school but gaining the knowledge and help in our daily thinking, making work easier and efficient. Research at Birmingham City University states that 95% of the students involved said that they feel a great sense of belonging and become more motivated when their teachers give them the freedom to present what they understand about a topic in class in their own perspectives. Having the creative mindset sets one to have the urge to learn new things, and it is through the knowledge that we become wiser in life.

References

Hennessey, Beth A. "If I were Secretary of Education: A focus on intrinsic motivation and creativity in the classroom." Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts 9.2 (2015): 187.

Pang, Weiguo. "Promoting creativity in the classroom: A generative view." Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts 9.2 (2015): 122.

Siddiqui, Nadia, Stephen Gorard, and Beng Huat See. "Accelerated Reader as a literacy catch-up intervention during primary to secondary school transition phase." Educational Review 68.2 (2016): 139-154.