Instilling creativity in our students

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Am I creative or not? This is certainly not what we want our students to contemplate. Yet my experience has shown that most people would put themselves into one of two categories: creative or uncreative.  Educators must break this black and white thinking.  Do we overly praise students and adults who “produce” creative pieces, visual artwork, performing arts and writing pieces at the expense of other types of creativity? Do we put less emphasis on creative thinking or the exploration of ideas? Have you ever heard someone say, oh, you are so uncreative?  That wouldn’t be nice – however, unconsciously are you putting folks into creative vs. uncreative boxes? To instill creativity in students we may first need to adequately define it, as well as communicate its meaning through verbal recognition of it.

It would be my guess that from very early on my teachers must have put me in the “uncreative box.” I never associated creativity with school. I don’t ever remember being told I was creative or even encouraged to think creatively. My earliest recollection of school creativity was “show and tell” time in Kindergarten and playing in the dramatic play area. I loved art in elementary school, but all school exposure to the arts seemed to end there. I associated exposure to the arts and creativity more with my home life. Visits to museums, folk festivals, summer theater venues, and vast genres of literature were an important part of my upbringing. Rainy day projects, creative cooking, and made up games were also important at home. Any attempt to instill creativity in me began and unfortunately remained in the home. This all changed in my thirties when a professor of my masters program raved about the creativity of my lesson-plan presentation on using children’s literature to teach Spanish and culture to young children.  I shared that never in my life did I recall being referred to as creative, and we engaged in a conversation on creativity – its meaning, what it “looks like,” how important it to notice and acknowledge creativity in others. She changed my outlook on creativity, and enabled me to see myself as creative (and to realize I was creative before my 30s!!). This was a very important lesson for me as an educator/administrator. #1 it has enabled me to rely on and extend my own creative tendencies toward all my professional endeavors, and #2 I consciously work to recognize and encourage the creativity of others; have a better understanding of what encompasses creativity; and certainly do not categorize others as creative or uncreative.  So before we teach creativity in schools let’s ensure that all students believe in their creative potential (way before the age of 30). It is our job to lead the way. For additional ideas on developing “Creative Confidence,” I recommend this Ted Talk by David Kelly: How to build your creative confidence.  http://www.ted.com/talks/david_kelley_how_to_build_your_creative_confidence.html

Privilege and Identity in Elite High Schools

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Post One of series  “It is not enough to be compassionate, you must act.”14th Dalai Lama

Was it an ironic coincidence that I read Adam Howard’s Elite Visions: Privileged Perceptions of Self and Others (Teachers College Record Volume 112, Number 8, 2010, p. 1971-1992 http:// www.tcrecord.org ID Number: 15799, Date Accessed: 5/15/2012) and then set off to the public library to review my son’s high school required summer reading list, which this year consists of books that fall under a school wide theme - compassion? 

Those familiar with the scholarly literature on privilege know that one must view privilege through the lens of one’s advantages (visible and invisible) instead of through the disadvantages of others.  If we are to break the chain of inequality we must view the varied components of privilege as power links within that chain.  Howard, in the above-cited article, introduces identity as an added link closely connected to one’s privilege.  His research looked at elite high school students’ perceptions of privilege; he found that his participants connect their privilege to their sense of self.  Specifically, privilege was not simply about the advantages one has or doesn’t have, but who they are as people, and their earned place in the world as privileged citizens. “ ‘It is just the way the world works.’ They accepted unfairness [inequality] as natural and unavoidable (p. 9)”

Students consciously or unconsciously work to justify and internalize their sense of privilege.  This is constructed from their knowledge base, their ways of knowing the world. As an educator it is my responsibility to help students understand other ways of knowing, and thus enable them to adjust their worldview to make a difference and break this chain of inequality.  In order to accomplish this Howard conveys the importance of exposing students to alternatives to “privileged ways of knowing and doing (p. 10).”  But he insists that in understanding students’ resistance towards alternatives, and acknowledging the commitment and desire of educators to positively influence youth, we must work through this resistance and take steps “toward transforming our students’ taken-for-granted assumptions about themselves, Others, and the world around them (p. 10).”

So, when I visited the Summer Learning web page, The Glass Castle, Nickel and Dimed, and The Soloist, quickly stood out and pushed me to reflect upon how as an educator of an elite school, I can use these works that focus on poverty and inequality not solely to think about compassion, but to help students think critically about privilege and inequality. What is our role as educators and how can we use the messages of these authors and characters to help our students break the many links of the chain of power and privilege? How do we ensure that our dialog on compassion moves beyond ideas and “feel good” tendencies and toward an urge to influence social change?

I will try to follow the Dalai Lama’s advice, “It is not enough to be compassionate, you must act.” Let’s act together and use this theme of compassion as a launching point to help students move beyond simply acknowledging the “taken for granted assumptions about themselves, Others, and the world around them (p. 10).”

No more pulling my hair out....

Bold, compassionate, caring, just. There are many relieved, smart, educated, young people out there who will have the opportunity to contribute to our diverse American society.  There are many happy families who will remain as a family unit. Thank you Mr. President.

Who will benefit?

We all will. The young adults who will benefit from this policy change are the youngsters who have spent time in our classrooms, who communicate, collaborate and connect with all American students within our educational system enriching our classroom communities. They were raised American, feel American and should be given the opportunity to become legal citizens.

Why now?

It is graduation season. It is at this time of year that all of these stories rise to the surface.  Although a temporary solution; it is bold and compassionate. 

So, what moves me?

As an educator, mom, scholar, daughter, administrator, woman, teacher, friend and wannabe-should be–will be activist – surely much moves me. What moves me intellectually, socially, emotionally and professionally is so intertwined that no matter the day, month, season or place, there is always a wonderful reason to get up in the morning to start my day.

Here are a few things that move me:

Arriving at a new destination - Gazing out the window of a taxicab or bus after leaving the airport of a city, state or country new to me. Absorbing the sites and sounds of that new destination sets the tone for my cultural journey.

Reading the “printed copy” of the newspaper while sitting on my deck, stopping from time to time to observe the numerous rabbits and occasional cardinal or oriole that flutter in the grass below or on the surrounding deck rails.

Listening to the advice and pointers my older son gives to my younger son – Hmm, didn’t I give that same advice to you seven years ago, and was it always well received?  It is so nice to realize that our messages are helpful – even if it takes a while to rub in. 

Immigration stories – the good, bad and the ugly. Enrique’s Journey (Nazario); my school’s Valedictorian; and I pull out my hair  when I read about deportation cases of contributing members of society who arrived in the United States as children or toddlers, who have so much to offer and are pushed to leave….

Paolo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed – the most influential book that has moved me personally and professionally.  Message: you must connect with those who surround you and honor their interests and realities.

This quote: “It is not enough to be compassionate, you must act.” Dalai Lama

Water – boating on Lake Winnipesaukee, listening to the waves on an Ecuadorian Beach, standing next to a waterfall, or gliding underwater in a calm river – these are the places that move me, where I have fun, or decompress.

I look forward to elaborating on and adding to the things that move me. What moves you?