Creativity is the most sought-after thinking skill, and it is the most challenging to master. Its value is evident in music, entertainment, technology, and other aspects of our existence.
It enriches our understanding and can ease our lives, which is why we appreciate and yearn for it.
Imagination is the foundation of creativity, and history shows that many things we imagine become a reality.
For example, Gene Roddenberry envisioned Star Trek’s flip communicators in 1966, and Motorola produced them in 1996.
As early as the 1800s, Augusta Ada King came up with a computer language that didn’t exist; today, she is widely credited with creating modern programming languages.
In what Benjamin Bloom called his taxonomy of the cognitive domain, synthesis (creativity) was ranked higher than any other skill since a person must use all of the different cognitive skills to be creative.
Creating, according to Bloom, is the highest form of thinking, so all learning environments should have this as their ultimate goal. By creating what they imagine, students are in control.
Therefore, educators’ prime responsibility is to cultivate the seed of creativity among their peers.
Sometimes, students need guidance to harness creativity from their actions and thoughts. This is where educators play a crucial part in helping students think in a way that is different, mindful and engaging.
Undoubtedly, the stem of creativity is within the mind. But through knowledge, it is easier to know where to look.
Through online counseling school programs, teachers can identify clues on how to cultivate creativity within their students.
Counselling programs help teachers understand thought processes by using thinking patterns for profound results, helping students exercise freedom when they think about getting from A to B in the best, most meaningful way possible.
Creativity isn’t what people perceive it to be, and it goes beyond paint and pencils.
It’s a way of thinking and a process that’s essential to anyone who envisions a career in STEM as well as someone who appreciates art.
A student’s ability to tap into and use sources of creativity starts at an early age – which makes the classroom a perfect environment for encouraging creativity.
How Can a Teacher Enhance Creative Thinking of their Students?
There are various ways of igniting the spark the flame of creativity in your students. Some of them are as follows.
- Get students to think outside the box
Students must be brave enough to experiment with different ideas and try new things to be creative. It takes research, courage, willingness to take risks, and perseverance to be creative.
Rather than fearing mistakes or criticism, students should view them as lessons for future growth.
By allowing them to explore different thinking patterns and come up with creative solutions to the range of projects they’re working on, you can see why they can succeed when they are creatively challenged.
- Design a flexible classroom
We are greatly influenced by our surroundings. Therefore, if you want to promote creative thinking in your students, you need to transform your classroom environment first.
Whether it’s group projects, solo assessments, listening to presentations, or other things, youngsters use many different ways to learn.
Let creativity flow between activities by creating collaborative learning layouts. Don’t just line up desks; make pods, a U-shaped setup, or group tables so students can work together.
Try and mix it up so you can accommodate different learning styles and activities. You’ll be amazed to see how much difference modifying the seating arrangement of your class will make.
- Engage students in learning activities that allow them to explore their creativity
Being a teacher, it is your responsibility to introduce such activities or tasks in your classroom that will urge your students to put on their thinking hats.
For instance, if you’re teaching 4th-grade students, you can give them a sample of rocks. Based on the definitions they studied, they should devise tests to determine their type of rock.
You’ll be surprised to see how students determine the hardness, colour, and shape differently.
Similarly, a kindergarten class might create a new illustrated book each week that honours a different class member or a faculty member of the school.
This book would include pages drawn by every student. Again, it’s their right to summarize a person’s likes and how they perceive them.
- Help them improve their ideas by giving them feedback
A student’s creative process can be improved by receiving feedback. It is often said that creativity results from a person’s ability to learn from mistakes or criticism and use it in the future to develop stronger ideas.
Giving direct feedback on each idea presented will allow students to find out which parts of their work are successful so that they can put more effort into them.
But also allow them to receive constructive criticism where needed to allow them to improve their work.
Teachers should be willing to provide this constructive feedback regardless of how challenging it may seem because they will not only encourage students’ creativity but also help them become more analytical and creative in the future.
- Encourage them to consider new solutions
Creativity is an evolutionary process. Students should be able to explore their ideas without fear of being judged or ridiculed to foster creativity.
Let them take risks in tackling new projects since they’ll show you what’s possible when a creative approach is taken.
Innovative solutions aren’t always conventional; sometimes, you have to push boundaries and think outside the box to find one.
Provide your students with questions that have never been asked before, or ask them questions like; what should we change in the classroom today? Or, what would happen if…?
Through daily creativity exercises, we’re able to develop fresh perspectives that improve the ability to solve problems creatively, which is crucial to success in all professions.
- Make your classroom fun
A positive learning environment that fosters outside-the-box thinking can be fostered through the use of humour in the classroom.
Use pop cultural references, puns, and jokes to infuse a bit of humour into your classroom.
Final Verdict
Success depends on the ability to think creatively. Creativity and imagination drive success, and involving both in the learning process is essential if you want your students to succeed in the long run.
The ideas mentioned above will hopefully help you polish your students’ creative skills.
