Student creativity can be fostered
Dasha Bunks
Liberty University
PSYC 775 - Teaching of Psychology
Dr. Winn
2022
Explanation
Creativity is defined as the generation of ideas that are new and useful in a particular situation is a
critical skill for students in the information-driven economy of the 21st century. Being able to identify
problems, generate potential solutions, evaluate the effectiveness of those strategies, and then
communicate with others about the value of the solutions are all highly relevant to educational success,
workforce effectiveness, and quality of life. Creative approaches to teaching can inspire enthusiasm and
joy in the learning process by increasing student engagement and modeling of real-world application of
knowledge across domains. Contrary to the conventional wisdom that creativity is a stable trait (you
either have it or you don’t), creative thinking can be developed and nurtured in students, making it an
important outcome of the learning process for students and educators.
Relevance for Teachers
A variety of strategies are available for teachers to foster creative thinking in students:
• Educators can allow for a wide range of student approaches to completing tasks and solving
problems, as the strategies being taught may not be the only ways to answer a specific question.
• Teachers should emphasize the value of diverse perspectives as fuel for discussion, reinforcing
that such perspectives are clearly valued and not penalized in the classroom.
• Teachers should also avoid the tendency to see highly creative students as disruptive; instead,
student enthusiasm can be channeled into solving real-world problems or taking leadership roles
on certain tasks. The creative process is often misconstrued as being purely spontaneous or even
frivolous, yet extensive research provides evidence that creativity and innovation are the result of
disciplined thinking. For this reason, other instructional strategies that can foster creativity
include:
• Varying activities by including prompts in assignments, such as create, invent, discover, imagine
if, and predict.
• Using methods that focus on questioning, challenging prevailing beliefs, making unusual
connections, envisioning radical alternatives, and critically exploring ideas and options.
• Providing opportunities for students to solve problems in groups and communicate their
creative ideas to a wide range of audiences (peers, teachers, community members).
• Modeling creativity. Teachers are powerful models, and as such they should share with
students their own creativity including the use of multiple strategies to solve problems across
various aspects of their lives. This modeling can also involve examples of how creativity is not
necessary in all situations, which may help students develop an improved sense of confidence in
their judgment.
As an educator, it’s up to you to inject some creativity into your classroom environment. Your approach
may vary whether you’re leading an elementary classroom or teaching a high school subject. But this
roundup of ideas can help you get started:
1. Choose a flexible classroom layout
Students work in many different formats — from group projects to solo assessments, listening to
presentations and more. Create collaborative learning layouts to keep the creativity flowing between
different activities. Instead of lining up desks, create pods, a U-shaped layout or separate group tables
where students can work together. Experiment and change it up to make sure your classroom can
accommodate a range of activities and learning styles.
2. Follow a classroom theme
One of the most fun and immersive classroom decor ideas is to follow a classroom theme, from the
bulletin board to the classroom door. Whether you choose an Ancient Egyptian theme to align with your
subject matter or a superhero theme to remind your students of their unique powers, explain the motif
to your students and encourage them to find parallels between the theme and what they’re learning.
3. Create a classroom library
Encourage reading by giving your students easy access to an array of interesting books appropriate to
their grade level. Add a creative, collaborative element by having your class help create
recommendations for readers who like different genres, or help organize and categorize your classroom
library.
4. Visualize ideas and goals
Empower your students to set their own goals and map out ideas in their own original ways. Teach them
how to use different types of graphic organizers like mind maps, Venn diagrams, visual timelines and
other resources.
5. Create opportunities for reflection
Reflective activities help students absorb information more deeply, enhancing their creative and
contextual understanding of new concepts. Display reflective learning resources in your classroom that
students can focus on.
6. Display inspirational quotes
Featuring inspirational quote posters in your learning environment can lead the way to great
conversations and critical thinking. Urge your class to consider and discuss the meaning of each message
and how it can be applied. Some quotes directly encourage students to unleash their creativity as well.
Browse our roundup of 30 inspirational quotes for students to find the right words of wisdom
7. Enliven your virtual classroom
Remote learning doesn’t only need to involve screen time. Incorporate hands-on creative challenges
into your distance learning program to keep the creative juices flowing. For instance, encourage your
class to get up and about with a virtual scavenger hunt or make something using found objects from
around the home or outside.
8. Take your teaching outside
Speaking of outside — when the weather’s nice, dedicate some of the day to hosting an outdoor
classroom. Choose active, exploratory activities you can’t do indoors. Consider setting up an outdoor
project like a vegetable garden as well. This adds a whole new dimension to the learning environment.
9. Introduce multimedia learning materials
Go beyond textbooks and worksheets and work with a variety of learning materials. For a high school
class, you could bring some of the most inspiring minds into your classroom by sharing TED Talks and
podcasts. For a middle school class, you might Incorporate music, videos, and interactive media like
gamified educational software into your lesson plan.
10. Support hands-on learning
Hands-on learning provides students with an arena to express new ideas, think critically and voice their
opinions, ultimately engaging them on a deeper level. The trick is to let students dive into the real thing
first, and then introduce the theory.
For a media class, let students create their own websites before discussing web design principles. For a
math lesson, have students build paper airplanes and use “flight” information to estimate things like
speed and velocity.
11. Encourage outside-the-box assignment formats
Let your students choose the format they want to follow for an assignment. Instead of the typical book
report essay, maybe they’d rather share their ideas through a photo essay, skit, diorama or recipe.
12. Explore different cultures
Developing students' ability to consider multiple perspectives is an important part of thinking creatively.
Celebrate cultural differences while learning from them. Invite members of your class to bring their own
cultural context into tasks and discussions. Recognize different global holidays and the origins behind
them, host a family heritage day at school and assign readings that explore diverse worldviews and
practices.
13. Incorporate humor into your classroom
Comedy requires creativity, and inviting tasteful humor into the school day can help create a positive
environment where outside-the-box thinking can flourish. Encourage your kids to think of relevant pop
culture references, puns and jokes for a lighthearted dose of classroom cleverness.
14. Have students practice creative journaling
Learning and creativity are all about growth — and journaling is a great way to record the journey and
encourage reflection. But this doesn’t have to be limited to writing. Students can create anything from a
video diary to an art journal where each sketchbook page is a catchall for combining ideas and notes
with new art techniques.
15. Encourage more color
Color in the classroom can have value beyond elementary school. Encourage students to color-
coordinate their school subjects and use color when note-taking and studying. Use color around the
room as well with vibrant posters or themed corners.
16. Act it out
Get your class up and moving with skits or a class play. This type of activity can engage a lot of creative
muscles — from writing original scripts and troubleshooting rehearsals to collaborating on costume
creation.
17. Team-building exercises
There aren't right or wrong answers in team-building — just cooperative strategies that allow peers to
think, communicate and create together. From untangling a human knot or getting out of an escape
(class) room to collectively telling a story one word at a time, there are lots of activities to try.
18. Motivate students with rewards and recognition
Rewarding student accomplishments with visual recognition is a great motivator and can instill a sense
of pride in all their hard work. Create certificates that praise all types of creative efforts — not just the
successes.
19. Celebrate class wins with ceremonies
Allow students to plan victory ceremonies when they collectively meet class goals. Whether they choose
a costumed pizza party or create their own traditions, encourage them to be innovative and have a lot of
fun.
When a teacher makes developing creativity part of the school day, students can have greater long-term
success in a variety of areas. They can become more comfortable and skilled with self-expression and
creating and executing original ideas. According to research by Gallup, students in classrooms that
placed a higher emphasis on both creativity and transformative technology were also more successful
at:
Solving problems.
Thinking critically.
Retaining information.
Exhibiting deeper comprehension.
Making connections across subjects.
Taking standardized tests.
Engaging creatively with tasks is also highly engaging, stimulating and energizing. Fun learning
activities that encourage kids to flex their creative muscles can support more sustained focus and overall
satisfaction in the process.
Incorporating music-related activities in the classroom for instance is a great way to spark creativity
and excitement in students of all ages, says Cody Arsenault, founder of MusicianTuts. Having students
write their own lyrics to a song or create a melody to help them memorize a definition or math equation
are just a couple of ideas. Arsenault also believes that music can play an integral role in team-building
exercises
Even if there aren’t any impressive-looking “results” from in-class creativity, it’s still a highly
valuable skill for students to build. When the learning environment is designed to make students
stronger learners, problem solvers, critical thinkers and innovators, it’s preparing them for greater
success beyond the classroom.
References
Beghetto, R. A. (2013). Killing ideas softly? The promise and perils of creativity in the classroom.
Charlotte, NC: Information Age Press.
Kaufman, J. C., & Beghetto, R. A. (2013). In praise of Clark Kent: Creative metacognition and the
importance of teaching kids when (not) to be creative. Roeper Review: A Journal on Gifted
Education, 35, 155–165. doi:10.1080/02783193.2013.799413
Plucker, J., Beghetto, R. A., & Dow, G. (2004). Why isn’t creativity more important to educational
psychologists? Potentials, pitfalls, and future directions in creativity research. Educational
Psychologist, 39, 83-96. doi.10.1207/s15326985ep3902_1
Runco, M. A., & Pritzker, S. R. (Eds.). (2011). Encyclopedia of creativity (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Academic
Press.
Sternberg, R. J., Grigorenko, E. L., & Singer, J. L. (Eds.). (2004). Creativity: From potential to realization.
Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
