Classroom Activities and Strategies to Promote Creativity

children using laptops in classroom

Learning can be fun, and this is what classroom activities and strategies to promote creativity should encourage. In a healthy learning environment, children will strive to learn all that they can, and this will include being creative. They will use their imagination, explore ideas and concepts, and use critical thinking skills. This all falls under the basic principles taught at home, school, and colleges.

The first step to creativity is for kids to take time to think.

This doesn’t mean that they should spend hours in their rooms. Rather, it means that they should be given enough time to clear their minds of all the usual distractions and focus on the task at hand. Give them some quiet time to sit down and do some reflection. At the end of this time, they should have thought out what they learned during the day and can revise for the next lesson.

Bring different types of media to the classroom

Classroom activities and strategies to promote creativity also require that teachers not only teach from the front of the class but also allow their students to choose an area of the classroom where they can bring different types of media. This allows them to use a variety of visual aids and gives them the chance to test their skills and creativity. For instance, students might choose to draw a picture of what they learned in class or record a video of their teacher giving a lecture. By allowing their own choices to dictate the content, and having the opportunity to test their knowledge, students are more engaged in the class.

Of course, in most classrooms, the teacher is not a candidate for classroom activities and strategies to promote creativity. Teachers are limited to the resources that they can bring into the classroom, which are usually textbooks, basic computer programs, art supplies, and other items that do not require a lot of research. These resources are not flexible enough to meet the needs of many students who are constantly moving, changing, and innovating. For this reason, it is important to change the style of education to suit the students and make learning interesting. One of the best way is to include modern technology, social media and blogs in the classroom.

children using phone in classroom

Make the curriculum fun

Another way that classroom activities and strategies promote creative work is by making the curriculum fun. Giving students some leeway to be creative and do things that they enjoy is an important part of fostering their creativity. After all, students get bored easily. When they learn boring facts and subjects, it is more likely that they will pick up the ideas from elsewhere on the Internet. The more they are involved in the curriculum, the more excited they will be in learning new things. The more motivated they are, they will remain to stay enrolled in the class.

Some teachers choose to include games in their curriculum that encourage creativity. Activities like crossword puzzles or word-guessing contests are good ways to encourage students to think outside of the box. The more creative students are the more they tend to learn outside the classroom, through independent thinking. While games are great for encouraging creativity, teachers should remember that there is a time and place for having fun. Playing too much in the classroom is counterproductive.

Allow students to come up with their own ideas

Another strategy for incorporating creative activities and strategies to promote creativity in the classroom is for teachers to allow students to come up with their own ideas. After all, the more creative the student is the more likely they are going to be the next Google, Apple, or Amazon employee. A simple class project might allow a student to see the possibilities and obstacles they might face in building their own inventions. This type of project also allows a student to feel like they are really contributing to the class. It also helps them see how others see their ideas.

Finally

Teachers can take steps to ensure the classroom fosters creativity by providing artistic experiences for students. Many times, a teacher will inspire a student to make a homemade creation or sketch. Teachers can take this same idea and spice it up by making a CD of the finished product. The CD can be given to classmates as well as the teacher for a creative experience. These are just some of the many strategies and activities to promote creativity in the classroom.

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