The Power of Creative Thinking. Creativity is a risk? Schooling in its essence is anti-creative.

According to Rollo May “Creativity is the process of bringing something new into being…creativity requires passion and commitment. Out of the creative act is born symbols and myths. It brings to our awareness what was previously hidden and points to new life. The experience is one of heightened consciousness-ecstasy.”

Rollo May’s words, “It brings to our awareness what was previously hidden and points to new life” conveys a lot to educationists today. It is often stated that creativity of a child starts at home and ends as he/she enters school. A study by Dr. George Land reveals that we are naturally creative and as we grow up we learn to be uncreative. When young students were asked about their creativity, they had a lot to say, which served as eye openers for us as teachers. Following are two of the many responses students had when asked about creativity:

“I used to be creative in elementary school. Now, I’m always trying to please my parents – they’re brilliant and expect me to be. There isn’t time for me to be creative. I miss it” – Kathryn.

“Creativity is a risk. You’re afraid to take that part of you and put it out where people can judge you. Your creativity is you, it’s part of you and when they judge you it really hurts” – Sarah, an 8^th grade student.

Sarah’s words pierced my heart. I wonder how many of us understand what creativity means to a child? In my years of work as a teacher, I have noticed that a creative teacher always produces a class of creative children. But it is ironical that a child’s creativity often gets suppressed due to the methods of teaching, lack of time and the attitude of teachers.

Generative research shows that everyone has creative abilities. The more training you have and the more diverse the training, the greater is the potential for creative output. The average adult thinks of 3-6 alternatives for any given situation. The average child thinks of 60. Every child is creative, it is up to us to tap them from a very young age and keep encouraging creativity as they grow up.

But do schools that believe in creative teaching and learning exist? The answer is yes and these schools are run by Heads who have a very strong vision of what educating children is all about, who are rebels and who do what they profoundly believe is right for children, despite the system.

An article I read in Teaching Expertise, April 2005 mentions that, creativity is one of the three key requirements in today’s world, which is changing at an unprecedented speed. The amount of information we can pass on to pupils in the time they are at school is very limited. On the other hand, access to all kinds of information has become incredibly easy. So it’s not, what we teach that matters so much as making sure pupils know how to learn. Businesses all over the world have repeatedly expressed what they expect from their work force. It also mentioned, the new ‘survival requirements’ as:

• Confidence that we know how to learn
• Being able to deal positively with change (practically and emotionally)
• Flexibility and Creativity in the ways we think and contribute

Schooling in its essence is anti-creative. In fact schooling and creativity are contradictions in terms. A quick comparison of the values that prevail at school and the essential values and prerequisites of creativity, highlight their contradictory characteristics.

At present, the situation in most schools is that lip service is paid to the idea that mistakes are OK, that individuality is valued and that new ideas are always welcome. In fact mistakes are punished, conformity is rewarded and what we really expect is regurgitation of information. Almost unknown within the system are lateral thinking, safety to take risks and make mistakes, playing with ideas, appreciating the value of the ‘slow mind’ (associated with creativity and wisdom) and breaking the established patterns of thinking.

I’m a staunch believer of allowing a child to think creatively. I am left amazed everyday at the different solutions that my students are capable of bringing forth for a problem. I am glad that I work in a school that gives a lot of importance in developing creative thinking in children.

The article (in Teaching Expertise, April 2005) very rightly has listed six pre-requisites of developing creativity at school. They are as follows:

• Create an environment in which pupils feel safe to take risks and get things wrong
• Develop a habit of always looking for the second right answer, and the third…
• Encourage pupils to regularly re-visit and re-examine all the rules, and change them if appropriate
• Find the right balance between teaching skills and inspiring creative expression
• Learn to suspend judgement
• Allow the ‘slow thinking, dreamy, playful mind’ the time it needs to come up with new ideas.

As a teacher I would not blame the teachers alone for not encouraging a child’s creativity in his/her class. Teachers are more likely to provide a climate for creativity when they feel that it is safe to take risks. In most of the schools it is this unsafeness in taking a risk that prevents them from allowing children to think creatively. If the authorities, who set up schools have no creativity in their thinking and openness in accepting creativity of others they often lay grounds for creating an environment where teachers will feel unsafe in being creative.

In an interview for Educational Leadership (Pool, 1997), Renate Nummela Caine explains the basis for this in terms of brain function: “When we feel threatened, we downshift our thinking. Downshifted people feel helpless: they don’t look at possibilities; they don’t feel safe to take risks or challenge old ideas. The system of traditional education can be a threat that inhibits higher levels of learning. If as a teacher, I am in charge of the curriculum, you as a student are supposed to learn what I say you must learn. Students are doing what teachers want them to do.”

As a follow-up of what Renate says, I believe such downshifted children will only be able to memorize and regurgitate what they learn but will fail to be analytical and critical thinkers. As teachers it is important for us to know that it is our responsibility to help children think creatively, enhance and encourage creativity in children, for they are the future of the world.

Another important aspect of creativity is the power it carries in transforming and healing children who are hurt and bogged down by failures in life. When students find an opportunity to express their pain and challenges through creative expression, they often undergo healing transformations.

I would conclude by saying creativity nourishes the soul and is vital for the success of learning. When creativity breaks through, both the teacher and student come alive

References: Rachael Kessler, “The Soul of Education”

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