Should Creativity Be an Important Part of Every Child’s Education?
Conventional wisdom has it that concepts of creativity include art, dance, and literature; but, the core of creativity focuses on creating something new. The comprehension of creativity and its importance in education allows one to maintain better problem solving skills, remain innovative, and excel beyond the years of ordinary schooling. Cognitive psychologist Jean Piaget once said, “The principle goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done”. Creativity is the freest form of self-expression. There is nothing more satisfying and fulfilling for children than to be able to express themselves openly and without judgment. All children need to be truly creative is the freedom to commit themselves completely to the effort and make whatever activity they are doing their own. What’s important in any creative act is the process of self-expression. The big question is, should creativity be an important part of every child education?
Creativity is important in every child’s education.
Every child has the power within them to be creative, and this might happen in many various ways. According to Hohmann et al. (1995 pg. 105), the teacher is crucial in providing a safe environment where a child feels as though they are able to express their creativity, explore it, and understand its significance too. Research has proven that creativity may be a useful gizmo for expression, and for understanding one’s own thoughts and feelings, also as those of others. Creativity, however, cannot just happen in its own accord, it must be coaxed out, to be cultivated, and it’s the role of the teach to encourage and allow time for that to happen with each and each student
Younger children express their true emotions through play: it helps them explore the world around them, test boundaries and gather evidence to make sense of their surroundings. With older children, encouraging creativity can lead to expressing emotions and opinions through art projects, music, theatre or any other creative outlet that may otherwise have been kept under wraps. Those who can express their emotions in this way tend to be happier and freer. Creativity can also be used as a tool to communicate with others and to have a shared experience with people that they might not have connected with. Communication, empathy and understanding between students is so important, so creating a classroom environment where there is plenty of opportunity for shared learning, group problem solving, and innovative thinking will get students opening up to one another, helping each other and connecting to one another through a shared creative experience.
According to Yuki et al. (2004 pg. 223), in recent years the job market has changed, there has been a significant shift in the job market, where a creative person is preferred to someone with a specific skill set .Innovation and ‘thinking outside the box’ are now some of the most desirable attributes in a prospective employee. Candidates who know how to be creative and can express this easily will be way ahead of the competition, so learning this skill early on is important. Teachers must make sure they allow time for children to be creative, perhaps by setting aside a ‘creative’ hour each day where students can only focus on creative tasks — they can inspire them with ideas and introduce new concepts, but also allow this time to be student-led, giving them the opportunity to show their teachers where their interests and passions really is.
Conclusion
If creativity is successfully introduced into public schools the students will benefit greatly from it. It is therefore hugely important that this becomes a fully integrated part of the school curriculum, and encouraged by teachers in classrooms of all ages.
Works cited
Hohmann, Mary, David P. Weikart, and Ann S. Epstein. Educating young children: Active learning practices for preschool and child care programs. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press, 1995.
Yukl, Gary, and Richard Lepsinger. Flexible leadership: Creating value by balancing multiple challenges and choices. Vol. 223. John Wiley & Sons, 2004.