Creativity in your classroom

Creativity is a process or a way of thinking, rather than an activity or an event. It is part of a constructivist approach to learning that puts students into situations where they engage in problem solving and create something of value. Young people think creatively by generating and exploring ideas and making original connections.

Students should try out different ways to tackle a problem, and it can be beneficial to work with others to do this so that they ‘spark’ ideas and find imaginative solutions that are of value. By working collaboratively in groups, they have the opportunity to question their own and others’ assumptions and try out alternative ideas.

You will need to apply your own creativity to develop lessons and teaching to support students’ creative development. If you ‘think outside of the box’ you will see many opportunities for creativity. 

A well-planned geographical enquiry can encourage curiosity and require students to use their imagination to think about the things they haven’t included as well as the things that they have. Delve into Rogers (2017) text that is full of creative ideas, as well as having a chapter devoted to creativity.

Simmons and Mole (2014) define the pedagogy of creative geography as the methods and practices that engage students ‘to take control of their own learning without being restricted by set boundaries’. 

They emphasise that the outcomes are creative geographers who ‘can reach goals independently’ and ‘reflect critically on their successes and failures’ and can use their experiences to inform future decision making. The report on some of the creative geography activities they used to achieve this in their year 9 students.

Rawling and Westaway (2003) found from their research that:

• Students are most creative when constraints are given – a time limit, a word limit, a limit on the resources they can use – rather than when the task is completely open-ended.
• Creativity is not always a lone activity; involving students in discussion and sharing ideas can be an important stimulus.
• When students are provided with a purpose or an audience for their work, it brings good results.
• It is helpful to encourage students to evaluate their own, and others, work.
• Students in the full ability range can engage and get involved in creative activities.

Durban (2003) argues that interpreting the world around us for others is fundamentally a creative pursuit. 

He reminds us that geography teachers are creative in their approach to teaching they – tell stories, use visuals for impact, encourage students to question and experiment with ideas, use thinking skills activities that students achieved more and remember better the areas of the curriculum where they were encouraged to be creative.

The article gives examples of creative approaches to enquiries on coastal geomorphology and studying countries. It also introduced the ‘creativity wheel’ (see diagram) in this case applied to teaching about maps showing how maps can be criticised, imagined and debated.

Renshaw (2011) believes that geography teachers should promote creative thinking within their curriculum and it needs to be ‘learnt, practiced and used to flourish’. In his article he suggests four creative thinking techniques and how he employed these when teaching about ‘ice’. In the second article he explains his approach to assessing the outcomes.

The Field Studies Council (FSC) promotes creative fieldwork alongside more traditional approaches, for example for the NEA at A level. Thinking creatively can help students to access the higher levels in the mark scheme. 

Maddison and Landy (2018) explain some of the  approaches used by the FSC and acknowledge that creative, student-led approaches need to be introduced from key stage 3 to open up students’ minds to the possibilities before they tackle the A level investigation.