Creativity in the Classroom: Why It Matters for Learning

The Problem with a Facts-Only Classroom

Imagine a classroom straight out of Dickens' Hard Times, where the teacher does nothing but insist upon facts. "Facts alone are wanted in life," writes Dickens (3). Facts are all that matter, all that the children need to remember. There is no need for creativity, no reinforcement of the imagination. As a result, the children are stifled and stymied. Their creative impulse is crushed beneath the iron-heeled boot of an instructor who insists, over and over again, on facts and nothing but the recitation of facts. He denies the children that very fundamental aspect of growth: creativity. Such a situation is one that every teacher aims to avoid — or at least one should hope. But why is creativity so important to the learning process?

Creativity as Resource and Civic Duty

Creativity is important because it is a "precious" and "inexhaustible resource," as Richard Florida states. Moreover, it is fostered by other creative people, which, as Florida goes on to point out, is why cities are typically some of the most creative places. This knowledge should be implemented in the classroom, which is in a way like a mini-polis. The students are citizens of this mini-polis and the teacher is like the mayor. Everyone works together to follow the rules of the classroom with the goal of achieving the common good — namely, that education takes place and everyone rises as a result of the lessons studied and learned.

What happens if some in the class decide to break away and be creative — that is, to follow the beat of their own drum? That depends on how the teacher and the class are set up to respond. Does the teacher reward creativity or punish it? Does the class know how to utilize the creative impulse and guide it toward a positive end, or does it merely become enchanted by the impulse and never really use it to produce anything whole or practical? There can be many different answers to these questions depending on the range of one's experience, but in essence the idea is clear: creativity is a great blessing for any society, but it must be put to good use; it must be appreciated; and it must be encouraged. There is a great deal of untapped potential in all of us. If our instructors are only interested in getting us to perform rote memorization tasks — to spout off facts without ever engaging the creative aspect of our own natures — then we as a society will never grow, never create wonders, and will sorely disappoint the next generation when they come of age.

Creativity is not just a gift — it is a duty. We are responsible to ourselves and to each other to be creative. We are a species that procreates: we make life, we make laws, we make art, we make entertainment, we make buildings and cities and parks. We essentially make the world around us — and we do that by learning the basic rules of the world, which are themselves created. When we create, we mirror a greater creative impulse — call it the universe, God, or nature — whatever one prefers — but it is that greater creative impulse which we echo.

The Case for Flexible Curricula

Why not bring more creativity into the curriculum? Why not free up teachers and allow them to approach their students in a unique and individualistic manner — a way that works for them and for their students? Why must everyone follow the same tune when it is common sense that everyone is different and that everyone has his or her own talents? A curriculum should be a guide, not a stone. It should be like a light in the dark — but it should not serve as a bushel that puts out the light.

Every teacher is hired for a reason — because there is something in him or her that shows a light inside and a desire to spread that light to others. If that is there, surely there is also a method within — a natural way forward, a creative way forward. A curriculum can help guide that way, but should it not also allow for some freedom to follow the different, sudden, and unexpected courses that arise in every class? How many times has it happened that a teacher broaches a subject and, because students have questions, the class is taken in a completely different direction — but one that is nonetheless fruitful and worthy of study? All teachers know that it happens more frequently than not. Should these opportunities to deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world be shunned because they are not on the curriculum? Or should they be embraced and appreciated for what they are — opportunities to relate lessons to real experience, no matter where the door takes us?

This is what creativity in the classroom is all about, and it must be given a chance. Without it, we are back in Hard Times, with Dickens' cruel taskmaster insisting that the world is bleak and full of black and white and nothing else. The reality — and Dickens well knew it — is that the world is full of wonderful, delightful colors, because the creative impulse throughout history made it so. There is a transcendent quality in the creative impulse that students and teachers alike can follow, thereby embracing the one, the good, the true, and the beautiful that the ancient philosophers deemed the noblest of all ends (Plato).

Conclusion: Embracing Creativity with a Socratic Spirit

In conclusion, let us get creative about creativity and not embrace it in a bureaucratic manner. Let us embrace it with a truly Socratic spirit. Did Socrates need a classroom for his classes? Not at all — on the contrary, he taught everywhere, and everywhere he went, he was teaching. There is true creativity.

Works Cited

Calhoun, John. "Getting Creative about Creativity Studies." The Chronicle of Higher Education. Web. 3 Nov 2015.

Dickens, Charles. Hard Times. London: Bradbury and Evans, 1854. Print.

Florida, Richard. "Cities are the Fonts of Creativity." NYTimes. Web. 3 Nov 2015.

Freire, P. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. NY: Continuum, 2000. Print.

Plato. Dialogues. Project Gutenberg. Web. 3 Nov 2015.