That same teacher we talked about last week that rules her classroom with a ruler usually rules it with a pencil as well. This week's post has a similar tone to last week's: few opportunities to talk, and specifically, few opportunities to use individual talents. Do students need to learn how to take tests? How to write research papers? Absolutely. But, I think this picture sheds some light on why those should not be the only assessment methods.
The monkey looks delighted, at least. But how is this method fair to all students? I recognize it is impossible to be completely fair at all times, but I believe teachers should try to accommodate all types of talents. Think about it: when students enter the workforce, they will be required to do tasks that involve synthesis of ideas. Invention of objects. Teachers should prepare them for this vast variety through different types of assessments that involve synthesis to stretch and prepare the students for whatever may come their way. If possible, students should even have frequent opportunities to choose their own assessment method. A little choice goes a long way; not only does the student feel respected by the teacher's consideration for their varying talents, but he/she also will feel more confident about the assessment and have less testing anxiety. As long as the student is using upper level taxonomy thought processes, the method should not matter. In fact, since many school's tests (including Hannah's) consist of simple memorization, using the student's choice of assessment, whether an art project, a music video, a newspaper article, etc. based on the unit of learning would actually involve MORE critical thinking and synthesis than a paper and pencil test!
So that's one important way creativity should be integrated into the classroom that I learned in my Teaching in the Middle class with Dr. Roukema. But I also have some commentary from the peanut gallery, Miss Hannah.
(By the way, here's me and THE Hannah herself! I talk about her so much, I figured you would want to meet her! And yes, we ARE this crazy.)
And here's more of a "normal" picture with our good friend Pluto, our favorite character to meet at Disney World.
Hannah's concerns about the killing of creativity are more in the fine arts department than in the core subject classrooms. This kid can flat-out draw, and sadly, there are no opportunities to use her best talent either for assessment or for art's sake itself! The one time Hannah chose art as her elective, she told me there was simply too much structure. Her strengths are cartoon drawings, but she was mostly told to draw landscapes every class period. Here we have a young mind bursting with ideas, longing to express them, yet she is told exactly what to draw rather than being encouraged to explore. There is a new emphasis within the art classroom on exploring themes rather than specific scenes. Drawing something having to do with your idea of family. Or what your life would look like if a genie gave you three wishes. That leads to a much wider range of exploration and creativity than giving such specific directions in every class. "Art isn't all about skill: it's about creativity," Hannah emphasizes. And she needs more room to explore it. Hannah wants the arts to be more like...well...the ARTS. Free range creativity!
Another creative talent Hannah has is her comedic skills. I remember Hannah saying at age 4 that she wanted to be a comedian, and I fully believe she could be. She smiles a lot and finds humor in everything, and more often than not, that gets her into trouble. Teachers think she is in on an inside joke and trying to spread it around the classroom, but she's just happy!
Another important lesson I learned in Dr. Roukema's classroom is to pick your battles as a teacher. Not only do you not have time to stop the class every five seconds to get on a student for not behaving ideally, you also do not want your students to feel stifled: like every move they make is wrong. There should only be one circumstance that warrants a reprimand from the teacher: if the behavior inhibits the student's or fellow students' learning processes. Yes, sometimes there can be a wildfire of laughter if a joke goes out of control, but a little laughter won't harm anyone. Again, we go back to the idea of creating a community. If a teacher laughs at a student's creativity in their wit (as long as it doesn't go TOO far), he/she is sending an important message: I care what you have to say. Let's not forget that these are kids. They like fun. They like laughter. And if you acknowledge that, you'll get a lot more respect as a teacher. I'm 20 years old and even I like a college classroom where there are frequent smiles!
The bottom line is, if students' creativity is stifled, whether through the lack of variety of assessments or the lack of a creative classroom environment, they will have no opportunities to express their individuality. At this stage of development, that skill is absolutely vital. These kids must learn who they are through experimentation, exploration, and expression-the only way to truly discover identity is to put yourself out there! Try out your ideas. See how they sound. If you don't like them, revise them. And eventually, through trial and error, a middle schooler will come closer to finding himself/herself.
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