Creativity

Today, I asked my students to create something with their thinking and learning.  What I wanted them to create was simple, but when I asked them to create, with collaboration, they became excited.

There is something about allowing students to think for themselves and use what they are learning in a creative manner that seems to energize my students.

Creativity is freeing.  It allows us to individualize our thinking and take things in directions that mean something to us.  All too often, we are asked to achieve things in such a way that there is only one correct way to do so.  Allowing creativity opens the doors of possibility and knocks down the walls that contain us.  It is an exercise that we all should gift ourselves when possible.

Being a teacher, I am given quite a bit of autonomy.  I get to create lessons for my students.  Granted, there are parameters that I must stay in including standards and content.  In other words, I am told the WHAT, but I get to create the HOW.

For me, that is where the Art of teaching comes to play.  There is an art to the creation of the lessons, but there is also an art to the dance of the instruction itself.  It is an artistic dance between teacher and students and if you are great at what you do...between student and student.

Too often, we take things like creativity in teaching for granted.  We teach...and that is about it.  But if we remain awake, and intentional about our ART... and notice and appreciate our freedom to create, we might become even more creative...and enjoy what we do just a little bit more.

Be Mindful.

Peace.

Mark Levine

#Mindfulliteracy
@LevineWrites