Do schools kill creativity?

Yes, schools kill creativity. Schools are more concerned with grades, standardized testing, and the bottom line than they are about encouraging learning or creativity. Classes often don’t even allow for creative exploration because it takes too much time away from direct teaching in mathematics and science.

The best way to come up with a creative idea is to think outside the box by playing in a sandbox or drawing on paper as long as it’s not directly graded. When a teacher asks a question, the actual answer becomes less important than whether or not it fits the teacher’s particular concept of the correct answer.

If you’re in a classroom, you have to be careful what you say and how you say it. If your answer is out of line with the so-called correct answer, you may feel like your ideas are not being heard. Many students stop trying to contribute because they feel harassed or ostracized by peers and teachers who ridicule their opinions.

How parents and students can counter this lack of creative environment

As a parent of a student, it can be confronting to know that these environments may not be the best at harbouring a creative atmosphere and promoting learning through exploration and self-motivation.

That’s why it’s important to investigate how your school is run and whether or not it encourages a creative environment for students. Sometimes the best way to learn is through hands-on exploration, that’s why I believe that a student should have the option to create a project in an area where they are weak in.

Here are some things you can do:

1. Ask the school principal if there are any projects that your child can be engaged in to regain interest and improve in a particular subject.
2. Explore the school yourself to see what is offered for students and how this is executed by teachers and students.
3. Give your child the choice of a subject so they can engage with their own learning ability or interest at home to encourage a more creative learning environment for better or worse results through exploration and self-motivation.
4. As a parent, play a positive role in allowing your child to have a creative and exploratory learning environment through play, project-based learning, and self-motivation.
5. Help your child be creative by giving them the opportunity to do so at home. 6. Always encourage your children to be creative and promote a culture of creativity within the family.
6. Create an environment of learning for your child through positive reinforcement, encouragement and support for creative exploration in their areas of interest or weakness.
7. Some parents don’t want to admit that schools do kill creativity, so you might have to bring up the subject by suggesting how creativity can be improved through the school curriculum and teaching methods.

Why creativity is important for young minds?

An individual who is creative has a sharp, flexible mind that can easily be persuaded to combine ideas in new ways, which often leads to innovative work. There are many reasons why it is important for a child to have a creative personality.

1. People who are creative tend to be better leaders and problem solvers. They are great innovators and can solve challenges by combining ideas with their imagination. A person that is more creative has the ability to see things from many different angles in order to make a better solution.
2. People who are creative tend to have a wider perspective and are able to see things from a broader view. They are generally better able to understand different points of view and recognize the value of combining different ideas.
3. People who are creative have better abilities in the mental areas of memory, judgment, and critical thinking which leads to better decision-making skills in their lives. They can use their imagination to create solutions rather than simply following rigid policy or procedure in order to reach the desired goal.
4. People who are creative tend to be more confident and accepting of themselves because they are able to find their own niche in the world, which builds self-esteem.
5. Creative people have the ability to connect with other people through their use of language, cultural symbols, artistic expressions, and social relationships. They learn how to persuade and motivate others based on ideas alone rather than coercion or force.
6. People who are creative are able to solve problems in unique ways, which leads to a more dependable workforce that is less likely to follow strict procedures based on rote memorization of rules. Creative people are more flexible and open to new ideas, which often results in greater efficiency.

Practising creativity in the home with your kids

Fostering a creative environment is super important to your child’s development.

The way in which your child learns is a reflection of what you do at home, so try to make your home creative by interacting with your children in imaginative ways that promote imagination and creativity. Here are some ideas to help you.

1. Give your child the freedom to explore their own ideas, interests and develop creative skills through hands-on activities and projects in the areas of interest or weakness.
2. Don’t overreact if your child has a bad art project or produce poor results from a science experiment. This teaches them important life lessons about being disappointed with failure, perseverance and continual exploration of new ideas.
3. Encourage your kids to do things for themselves rather than relying on others for everything they need. Have them do their own laundry, cook their own meals, clean up after themselves and such. Learn to think for yourself when there is no one else, it empowers your child through self-reliance and problem-solving skills.
4. Encourage your child to be creative in the world they live in by playing pretend games with them such as “Superhero” or “Cowboy & Indian”, where they are the hero and save the day through the use of their imagination.
5. Help your kids to learn problem-solving skills by encouraging them to look for ways to make their homes and school work more fun in order to solve problems.
6. Give your children creative opportunities such as painting, music or dance classes at their local community centre or school. Encourage your child to play music on the piano, play the drums or learn an instrument of their choice and enjoy it as a hobby.
7. If your child is interested in art, encourage them to pursue it as a creative outlet for both you and the child. It can be a fun hobby and it teaches the importance of originality, problem-solving skills through creativity and discipline.
8. Give your child a creative challenge by encouraging them to see how many combinations they can create with a common object such as an apple or make the same car ride twice by driving in different directions around the block. This will help your child to learn strategies for problem-solving.
9. Celebrate your child’s creativity by praising their accomplishments and following up with them to make sure they are getting the support they need from others.
10. If you have a creative child, enjoy their time spent doing activities that involve using their creativity and problem-solving skills in order for them to grow as a person and ultimately benefit others with the creations they develop.

The Creative Mindset in children

Children are born to create, they just need the right encouragement in order for them to become creative in their environment. The creativity of children develops through exposure and the ability of parents in thinking of creative ways to nurture this trait in their child. Reflect on these areas that will encourage your child’s creative mind.

We have creative a guide for the creative mindset which speaks about some of the challenges and techniques to overcome them. It also includes some of the activities we believe are helpful in nurturing creativity, such as music, singing, painting, dancing and more. For more information on the creative mindset for parents click here.