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We have already defined creativity as being:
imaginative
purposeful – directed at achieving an objective
original
valuable – in relation to its objective.
But what does this actually look like in the classroom?
When pupils are thinking and behaving creatively in the classroom, you are likely to see them:
questioning and challenging
making connections and seeing relationships
envisaging what might be
exploring ideas, keeping options open
reflecting critically on ideas, actions and outcomes
QUESTIONING AND CHALLENGING
Creative pupils are curious, question and challenge, and don't always follow rules. They:
ask 'why?' 'how?' 'what if?'
ask unusual questions
respond to ideas, questions, tasks or problems in a surprising way
challenge conventions and their own and others' assumptions
think independently.
For example
Through role play, a year 6 pupil challenges conventional notions of life in Victorian Britain.
Click pattern to play
MAKING CONNECTIONS AND SEEING RELATIONSHIPS
Creative pupils think laterally and make associations between things that are not usually connected. They:
recognise the significance of their knowledge and previous experience
use analogies and metaphors
generalise from information and experience, searching for trends and patterns
reinterpret and apply their learning in new contexts
communicate their ideas in novel or unexpected ways.
For example
Reception children reinterpret the story 'We’re Going on a Bear Hunt' in a range of contexts, including music and dance.
Click pattern to play
ENVISAGING WHAT MIGHT BE
Creative pupils speculate about possibilities. They:
imagine, seeing things in the mind's eye
see possibilities, problems and challenges
ask 'what if?'
visualise alternatives
look at and think about things differently and from different points of view.
For example
Year 2 pupils work with purpose and imagination to recreate Florence Nightingale’s hospital in the classroom, seeing problems and visualising alternatives.
Click pattern to play
EXPLORING IDEAS, KEEPING OPTIONS OPEN
Creative pupils explore possibilities, keep their options open and learn to cope with the uncertainty that this brings. They:
play with ideas, experiment
try alternatives and fresh approaches
respond intuitively and trust their intuition
anticipate and overcome difficulties, following an idea through
keep an open mind, adapting and modifying their ideas to achieve creative results.
For example
A group of nursery children take the lead in experimenting with different ways of moving water.
Click pattern to play
REFLECTING CRITICALLY ON IDEAS, ACTIONS AND OUTCOMES
Creative pupils are able to evaluate critically what they do. They:
review progress
ask 'is this a good...?' 'is this what is needed?'
invite feedback and incorporate this as needed
put forward constructive comments, ideas, explanations and ways of doing things
make perceptive observations about originality and value.
For example
Year 4 pupils critically evaluate their own and others’ designs for advertisements.
Click pattern to play
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