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Creativity
I’m often asked how to teach art lessons without compromising student creativity. I like to answer this question by first explaining what it means to be creative. Once you understand what it means to be creative, you’ll understand how not to compromise it. I always ensure this by following the guides I’m sharing with you in this blog.
What Does Creativity Mean?
Being creative means coming up with a completely new idea. Something novel, or something never designed before. Something conjured up from your own imagination. For children to think this way, we teachers have to get out of their way and not disturb this creative process. We must refrain from controlling the end product.
- Are you asking your students to copy step-by-step instructions?
- Do you have an art sample of what the outcome should look like?
- Does your art lesson have no flexibility to invent or create a new idea?
- Do you discourage your students from exploring and experimenting with different mediums?
Allow More Freedom
If you answered yes to these questions, you are teaching in copy-mode with step-by-step instructions, which may compromise creativity. To foster greater creativity, you need to adapt your lessons. Provide more freedom for exploration, experimentation, and allowing students to complete the art project in any direction they choose.
It’s possible to teach good quality art skills. Start by following these creative guides:
- You choose the art project
- You choose the artist technique, method, or style to study
- You can demonstrate mediums
- You can prepare for exploration and experimentation
- You can allow flexibility and freedom to create their own ideas
It’s okay to display step-by-step instructions and inspirational examples. However, try not to impose strict guidelines on what they must create in the end.
Different Ways To Promote Creative Choice
Other ways you can support creativity is to teach methods like Process Base or Choice Base. These methods allow kids to flow into their own creations without adhering to rules on what to create. Choice Base provides kids with the freedom to choose their art project, mediums, and create anything they desire. Process Based focuses on exploration and discovery rather than the end result, not dictating what the final product should look like; there’s no right or wrong way to finish the art.
Start by implementing a few of my guides to see if you can promote creative thinking in your lessons. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll notice your students coming up with new creative ideas. Additionally, you will be supporting the artistic process that meets the arts standards.
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