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Show , Spring 2004 page 27 The Creative Classroom Jennifer Schmidt Program Director, Master of Science & Technology A creative classroom environmentshould be respectful, welcoming, interactive, open, and fun. You can work hard and have fun at the same time. I believe this kind of environment is more productive. I try to teach creatively. If I am creative in my teaching, I am a role model for my students. I keep things somewhat off-center or off-balance in the classroom. I vary the format or structure of the class and I introduce unexpected surprises. Surprises are good, as is laughter. However, surprises /~y \\ f j } \ are just that. If you attempt to ^-\ / Li constantly surprise someone, eventually the surprise itself will become commonplace. In my opinion, desirable classroom dynamics can be compared to music in that you must provide variation in the tempo, volume, key, or meter to keep things interesting and exciting. If the volume is constantly loud or if the tempo is always very fast, the music loses its impact. Then there are no surprises; the music becomes noise and we begin to tune it out or turn it off. To be creative and promote an environmentconduciveto creativity, our minds must be knowledgeable, active and flexible. They must be knowledgeable with respect to the tools and information that will be used to create; active to be engaged and enable the dynamics necessary to assemble tools and ideas; and flexible to jump from where you were to a new thought or idea. Everyone is creative and everyone can become more creative. We can practice being creative much as we practice activities such as sports, dance, public speaking, martial arts, and music. When you have done something many times, success eventually becomes effortless. It is my hope that with enough practice, creativity will become like a pair of ski goggles that you slip on and forget about as you effortlessly ski though the vast potential of your ideas. Initially I give creativity full attention in the classroom. By reintroducing and reminding ourselves of it, we can welcome it into our thoughts and activities. However, sometimes creativity is like the sun; you do not want to look right at it or the momentum of the moment might disappear. Instead, you should allow it to illuminate your ideas, provide the warmth to incubate them, and the energy for them to grow. With this environment and framework in mind, I create occasions for students to utilize their creativity by providing various topics, assignments, and opportunities for discussion. As a class, we want to see creativity in action, not just talk about it like a specimen in a petri dish. Sharing ideas can be a key part of the creative process. When the group shares ideas, we can build upon these ideas to create something even more extraordinary. If you would like to contribute your Perspective on issues such as religion on campus or dealing with the problem student, please contact Jessica Durfee at durfee-j@ugs. utah.edu. / |
