Lessons from 20 years of researching and teaching creative thinking
By Harry Vardis
We live in a world where the work environment is no longer formal.
People go by first names, men may not wear ties, business casual is the dress code, and people are generally becoming accustomed to the idea that if you are going to work more than 8 hours a day, you might as well be comfortable, casual and have fun! Since Zoom and other similar platforms have become the other half of the hybrid work environment, casual is the new norm.
Having fun does not mean that we aren’t serious about what we teach; it means that we cover all our bases so that all people learn and enjoy doing it.
We provide stimuli for those who are auditory, the visuals, and the kinesthetics. We incorporate all sorts of audiovisual materials and very participatory exercises so that the students’ attitudes are kept on the lighter side, making a huge difference in learning.
1. Use music that is appropriate for each occasion
We have an extensive library of music which ranges from very introspective to very high-energy music and with huge doses of classical and various styles from many different countries. This allows for creating the right mood, the right inspiration, and of course, the right speed. This does not mean that everything we do incorporates music, but you must have music available if you want to set the right tone for the room.
2. Decorate the classroom so that it inspires the mood you want to create
Colors and activity items are everywhere in the room. The signs on the walls are reminders of key learnings, all are made in color, and all the paper used in the room is color paper. These are creative thinking sessions and we want the students to be in a creative thinking mood.
3. Consider everyone’s needs and have the right toys for them
Here we are talking about the learning styles, and as said earlier, it is up to you to provide visual, auditory, and kinesthetic stimuli to keep the students engaged. Balloons, plastic balls, play dough, wooden sticks, pipe cleaners, and many other creative objects are used.
4. Involve them by asking them to invent the answers
Teaching by spoon-feeding is teaching is not effective for learning. We like to teach through demonstrations. If you don’t engage learners, they will forget. So, we ask questions, and after we get their answers, then we reveal our answers. Most of the time, the questions we ask help them produce the answers, and that creates ownership. This is an essential Socratic element in our teaching because as students discover answers, they create neural pathways to the correct associations in their brains.
Creative Focus is a consulting services and facilitation company that specializes in improving team dynamics and addressing challenges requiring creative solutions.
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PART V – Practice Makes Perfect (For All Learners)