As educators face an ever-increasing focus on standards-driven instruction, it may seem like there are fewer opportunities to foster students鈥� creativity. But I believe that standards-based instruction and creativity are not mutually exclusive.
I teach in a school where adherence to state standards is a must. In my work with gifted students, I鈥檝e used an acronym that helps me develop their creativity: C.R.E.A.T.E. By following the steps in this acronym, educators can successfully integrate creativity while meeting standards benchmarks.
C: Care
The first step to teaching creativity is caring about it鈥攂y making it a priority in the classroom. Employers have cited the ability to think creatively as one of the most valued skills for the 21st century. As former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley has noted, 鈥淲e are currently preparing students for jobs that don鈥檛 yet exist鈥攗sing technologies that haven鈥檛 been invented鈥攊n order to solve problems we don鈥檛 even know are problems yet.鈥�
If we push creativity aside, our students will not be prepared for the future. It鈥檚 essential that educators put creativity on a pedestal where it belongs!
R: Respond
Responding to students鈥� creativity is an important way to make it an integral part of your classroom. Gifted students are notorious for their 鈥渨hat if鈥� and 鈥渃an we鈥� questions. Rather than seeing these remarks as distractions or annoyances, we need to recognize that these types of questions mean students are thinking creatively.
Value and praise these responses. Entertain students鈥� inquiries. Reply with probing and Socratic questions. Ask yourself if students鈥� questions can lead the way to an alternative project.
For example, last year, my 6th graders were reading about genetically-modified tropical fish in order to decide if they wanted them in our classroom aquarium. They started asking lots of 鈥渨hat if鈥� questions about genetically modifying other animals. Rather than seeing this as off-task behavior, I saw it for what it really was鈥攃reative thinking. In response, I gave students an assignment to draw a picture and write a standards-based description of a genetically-modified animal that they would like to create.
Will responding to students鈥� inquiries and ideas make you feel like you鈥檙e going to get off track? At times, yes. But it鈥檚 well worth the risk if you believe that nurturing creativity can deepen learning. In other words, foster creativity鈥攄on鈥檛 fight it!
E: Expand
During the 1990鈥檚, Bloom鈥檚 Taxonomy was revised. In the revised version, creativity is at the pinnacle of higher-order thinking skills because of the complexity involved.
Can the student create new product or point of view?
Level VI: The student will be able to:
Assemble, Appraise, Argue, Assess, Choose, Compare, Conclude, Consider, Construct, Contrast, Convince, Create, Critique, Decide, Defend, Determine, Discriminate, Develop, Estimate, Evaluate, Explain, Formulate, Grade, Judge, Justify, Measure, Predict, Rank, Rate, Recommend, Revise, Score, Select, Standardize, Summarize, Support, Test, Validate, Verify, Write
Educators can help students expand their thinking and reach the different creativity levels by using (see sidebar). But two words of caution: Be careful. Using these verbs does not guarantee that students have reached a particular creativity level.
For instance, using the word 鈥�explain鈥� might not result in the understanding level鈥攗nless it is explaining a new product or point of view. During a recent grammar lesson, I was able to take my students to the creating level for the following Florida Language Arts standard: 鈥淒emonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.鈥� Students thought creatively by writing short stories and including intentional errors in them. Then their peers corrected them, and they discussed the answers. Students had a blast developing their creativity while meeting the standard.
It may not be possible for students to actively create something for all lessons. However, we should provide them the chance to do so whenever possible. 鈥淓xpanding鈥� lessons provides an awesome opportunity for differentiation.
A: Add Art
Making art is a creative act. But how do you convince a 鈥渘o fluff鈥� principal that art should happen outside the confines of the art room?
I鈥檓 willing to bet this same principal likes to throw out terms like 鈥渄ifferentiated instruction鈥� and 鈥渟tudent engagement.鈥� When you incorporate art into lessons, you are differentiating by learning preference, multiple intelligences, and product options.
Have you ever noticed that if you have students work on something involving drawing and you ask them to work quietly, those kids who constantly talk out of turn are now dead silent? You are increasing student engagement by having students get creative.
One tip for adding art: I incorporate it into my vocabulary lessons. For example, I have students create a picture that will help them remember new words. They enjoy creating these drawings and learn the words well. Acting, writing, and singing can also help foster students鈥� creativity in different subject areas.
T: Techniques
There are many techniques that you can use to help strengthen students鈥� creativity. Many focus on traditional creative abilities such as fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration. I would say that there is great value in using these techniques as stand-alone exercises. However, I realize the enormous pressure many teachers are under to maintain a focus on the standards.
So let鈥檚 look at how we can use some of these techniques with a 5th grade science standard that states: 鈥淒istinguish among the following objects of the Solar System鈥擲un, planets, moons, asteroids, comets鈥攁nd identify Earth鈥檚 position in it.鈥�
One technique I use is called 鈥淲hat would happen?鈥� in which students list consequences for unlikely events. We could ask, 鈥淲hat would happen if we lived on Mars instead of Earth?鈥� Answers will vary from the serious to the silly. But to foster creativity, you would accept all answers as equally valid. The key is to maintain your focus on the standards and bring the discussion back to key content in order to reinforce it at the end of the lesson.
Another technique is analogical thinking, which some say is the most powerful technique used by creative people. Analogical thinking involves the ability to borrow ideas from one context and adapt them for another. For instance, an educator might ask, 鈥淗ow is our classroom like the solar system?鈥� This would allow students鈥� creative juices to flow while leading into a discussion of the objects in our solar system and their position in it.
There are many other creativity techniques that can be easily found on the web. is a good place to start.
E: Examples
Provide students with examples of the techniques that creative people use. This will enable students to apply these techniques to their own thinking.
For example, before beginning a creative writing assignment, I captured my students鈥� interest by explaining that George Lucas did not originate the idea of a young man who proves his manhood, rescues a princess in distress, has an older and wiser mentor, and battles a villain. Students are always surprised to learn that Lucas studied mythology prior to writing Star Wars.
I also tell students that Albert Einstein used mental modeling. He once imagined himself to be a tiny being riding through space on a ray of light, which helped him develop his general theory of relativity. These examples take the mystery out of creativity and help convince students that they can legitimately build upon existing ideas without feeling 鈥渦ncreative.鈥� Consequently, when students are required to think creatively, they have some techniques to start with.
We can teach students to improve their creativity even in standards-based classrooms. As Jim Gilmore suggested, 鈥淚f the rules of creativity are the norm for a company, creative people will be the norm.鈥� will have classrooms where creativity and creative students are the norm!
