High school has been different for him. Here, his creativity is welcomed and encouraged. Part of that is a function of his being in much smaller classes, and the kids' maturity level is also a factor. Younger kids are harder to discipline; when a teacher is trying to make sure 30 eleven-year-olds behave, letting a couple of kids "color outside the lines" could spell disaster. I understand that.
Rather than squashing that energy, though, an excellent teacher would find ways to use it productively in the learning process, letting kids in a science class plan and conduct an experiment, or letting kids in a social studies class create a giant wall map or a movie about the history of a region. Having kids sit in their seats for eight hours a day filling out worksheets is not going to inspire creativity. To do those kinds of creative and energizing activities, though, the teachers need to be creative, and they need to be provided with an environment in which creative teaching and learning can thrive – smaller classes, more professional development, and good pay.
Not every kid is going to be creative and innovative, and that's okay. Some may develop those skills later, once they're on the job. Success comes in many forms and right now, with a nearly 10% unemployment rate, even the creative people are hurting. There is no magic bullet for surviving a recession, and schools aren't going to provide the remedy for it, even if they start encouraging creativity tomorrow.
Article comments
1 - Joanne Huspek
Good points. Parents are also responsible for the creativity of their children,don't you think? If all a parent does is turn on the TV and plops the child in front of it, all that results is an automoton, one who is heavily into a fantasy life and consumption. It's the parents' Number One job to instill a sense of creativity, not the schools.
2 - Laura
Joanne, excellent point! I think many parents do try to enhance their children's creativity since they know that school may not give them all they need.
3 - Ruvy
When we raised our boys, we cut the TV time to a minimum, DID NOT give them fancy electronic toys or gadgets, and let them wander around the house, figuring out their own toys and games.
Both of them are creative and imaginitive in different ways.
Unfortunately, schools are designed to raise good factory workers who listen and obey - in an age when factories are largely passé in "post-industrial" societies. So nobvody is teaching these kids to survive when the rest of the world realizes they do not need "post-industrial" societies, and tos them under the bus.
4 - Kadira
Its great to see people beginning to realize the importance of creativity in everyones lives and in fact acknowledging that it is perhaps going to be one of the more important skills to develop as we move forward towards the 22 century.
There is no innovation without creativity first and our children do indeed need to be trained in this vital skill.