Encouraging creativity in schools sounds intuitively like a good thing, but it can be a slippery concept that means different things to different people.
A new guide from the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) gives pointers on how to â€release creativity in learning and teaching†and says this is particularly important in â€an uncertain economic and social environment†and “a world of increasingly rapid changeâ€.
But what does the guide say that teachers should do?
Here is a flavour of its advice for teachers on the questions they should ask themselves “when developing and embedding creative learning and teachingâ€:
- Are opportunities to develop creativity skills evident across all areas of the curriculum?
- To what extent do I encourage curiosity, offering space and safety for questions and encouraging learners to follow their interests?
- Am I encouraging open-mindedness by challenging expectations, dispelling preconceptions and offering multiple perspectives?
- How well are learners’ creative endeavours at home and in the community acknowledged and celebrated?
When assessing whether an activity is likely to “help learners develop creativity skillsâ€, teachers are advised to build on “prior knowledge, skills and experience while taking learners into unfamiliar areasâ€. There should also be “external stimulus†such as “contact with creative people†and opportunities to explore “unfamiliar environmentsâ€, and a “strong element of personalisation and choiceâ€.
â€Creativity is core to education and our own development,â€Â GTCS chief executive Pauline Stephen said today. Meanwhile, Barbara Gray Atherton, development officer for creativity at Education Scotland, said: “In order to thrive in this complex and fast-changing world, learners must be empowered to be creative.â€
The professional guide, which was written with the National Creative Learning Network, is linked to .Ìý
Read the GTCS guide on creativity .
