How to Encourage Creativity in Schools-Babcock |1

How to Encourage Creativity in Schools

Jennifer Babcock

CRS 625: Current Issues in Creative Studies

Dr. Gerard Puccio
Fall 2014

How to Encourage Creativity in Schools-Babcock |2

How to Encourage Creativity in Schools

Abstract:
This essay will discuss several articles related to promoting creativity in schools and in
the classroom and I will use real world situations and scenarios to incorporate knowledge from
my coursework so far and what I have learned from my FourSight training in order to promote
such creativity. The examples I will discuss are all just quick ideas of how to incorporate CPS
into the classroom but I feel that after completing this course, prior courses and my trainings that
I am more adept to properly and effectively lead the students and untrained people through the
tools and the process. There are many similarities between teaching and facilitating and I feel
that I can easily blend the two worlds to grow professionally. Some similarities I will focus on
because I have learned a lot about from this training are in regards to creating a creative
climate/environment, time management, and social interactions. This essay will discuss these
similarities based on the two environments of creativity they fall within: the psychological
environment and the physical environment, respectfully. Both are equally important in fostering
creative thinking and will need to be looked at individually as well as in combination to have an
effective creative-classroom. I will also discuss how to bring FourSight into the classroom as a
means of differentiated instruction. The tools that will be discussed can be found in our
Creativity Rising and our Creativity Unbound books that were required texts for many courses in
our program (Puccio, Mance, Barbero Switalski & Reali, 2012), (Miller, Vehar, Firestien,
Thurber & Nielsen, 2001).

How to Encourage Creativity in Schools-Babcock |3

After taking the courses in my program and after this training I have become interested in
how using Creative Problem Solving in the classroom may encourage idea development and idea
production for assignments (i.e. writing assignments, art projects, etc.). More so, how to
effectively facilitate people who are unfamiliar with CPS and be a better facilitator for my
lessons within the classroom setting. I feel that what I have learned from this program has
already made me a more creative thinker and overall person and I have truly grown as a
facilitator and as well a teacher. I dont feel that it would be too difficult to facilitate the same
Creative Problem Solving processes and tools to students of various ages and abilities. I have
heard, over and over again in every classroom I have been in, from students I dont know what
to write about, I dont know what to do, I dont know what I want to say. Yet most of the
times you cant get students to stop talking, and thinking and creating. And, I know I have said
that many times myself. I even said it when I had to think about what to write for this essay! If
students were used to doing different Creative Problem Solving strategies and procedures and
knew how to use some or all of the tools then I feel that those statements might decrease and the
amount of novel ideas and will increase.
The School or Classrooms Climate:
In Gary A. Davis book Creativity is Forever he lists the main barriers that hinder
creativity: Habit and Learning, Rules and Traditions, Perceptual Blocks, Cultural Blocks,
Emotional Block, Resource Barriers, Idea Squelchers (Davis, 1999). All of these are
psychological barriers except for Resource Barriers which includes a shortage of people, money,
time, supplies, information, materials etc. and will be discussed later in the paper when I discuss
how to create a physical creative-environment. All people and all students will encounter one of
these barriers at some time in the creative thought process and many will encounter several of

How to Encourage Creativity in Schools-Babcock |4

these. I have learned that as a Facilitator, I am the one responsible for not only setting up an
effective environment for myself to work in, but also one that is conducive to the client and the
resource group I am working with. As a teacher who wants to create a psychological creativeclassroom I must also be aware of all of these barriers, which students are innate to certain ones
at certain times because of their upbringing, and how to help students move through those
barriers. Steinberg said that Creativity is as much a decision about and an attitude toward life as
it is a matter of ability. Creativity is often obvious in young children, but it may be harder to find
in older children and adults because their creative potential has been suppressed by a society that
encourages intellectual conformity. (Sternberg, 2006).
As a teacher who wants to promote creativity I would have to recognize that society, both
outside of the school and within the school, has already constructed barriers that the students will
need to get over in order to grow as a creative learning. In regards to personality traits and their
relation to their creative skills it is important for teachers to understand that Social traits of
personality involve first and foremost behaviors and attitudes that concern ones relationships to
other people, such as questioning or accepting what authority figures say, being comfortable or
uncomfortable around strangers and large groups of people []. (Feist, 2010). That is why
having a positive classroom will be the first step to helping their students reach their creative
potential. Even with a trained Resource Group a Facilitator would need to be aware of the
dynamics the members are bringing into the session. This is where warm-ups and introductions
as well as planned breaks at points of convergence are important to make sure people free their
minds of these outside barriers and thoughts that might not allow for novelty to break through.
In terms of creating my own classroom, I could start the school year off with a positive
attitude and express my openness to creativity and that I want students to be honest, individual,

How to Encourage Creativity in Schools-Babcock |5

interesting and creative to get the students comfortable with me and my expectations. The
students need to know that I am okay with them being creative and that I expect them to be
playful and to have fun as long as they are learning and completing the requirements. Teachers
often use ice-breakers and introduction games anyway but I now have many other openers and
warm-ups that can also work especially with getting students use to deliberate divergence and
idea generation. I would also have to continuously foster this type of thought. Each day as the
Hook or opening to the day or to my particular lesson we could go through one of the tools or I
could give the students a situation/problem and then they can come up with solutions just to get
them to think creatively i.e. the Visual Connections discussed in regards to writing. This could be
done at the start of any writing lesson to get them to think of the current assignment. Especially
with high school students they go from class to class with ideas and feelings from and about the
last class. If I want them to think clearly on my different subject and topics I would need to free
their minds of those thoughts so that they will be open to new thoughts.
Lastly in regards to climate we must also look at how culture plays into a students
performance especially when we consider multiple intelligences a child may possess. because
culture and language are linked to conceptual functioning, the creative-cognition approaches
must begin to include not just normative looks at how concepts are utilized in a given task, [],
but also how individuals with diverse backgrounds process the same information differently
(Ward, 2010). Unfortunately, the Western capitalist culture tends to primarily teach, reinforce
and promote only two of the areas someone could be talented in: verbal/linguistic and
logical/mathematical. This is very apparent in how our schools curriculums are designed and the
types of assessment our schools are using today even though there are at least six other areas one
can possess talent in which were previously discussed. Schools primary focus on a day to day

How to Encourage Creativity in Schools-Babcock |6

basis is on Reading and Math because those are the skills that are valued most in the job market
and therefore in the economy. More often than not Science, History, Music, Art, etc. are ignored
or seen as a less important subject or talent to have. Because Western culture is principally built
on careers and areas based in ideals surrounding revenue that need their members to be highly
skilled verbally and logically we tend to disregard those other talent areas if they are not
economically needed. So its not always just a cultures knowledgeable domains that are
important, but also their profitable domains.
The School or Classrooms Physical Environment:
In one article I came across it discussed how to build the proper active-learning
environment that fostered creativity and it perfectly said: The research suggested that the
structuring of the physical environment had an impact on learners. The main features included
flexible use of space; flexibility and free movement around the space; using different areas
within the class room; providing a wide range of appropriate materials, too and other resources
(clay, wire, cellophane, games, whiteboard, computer games, etc.); and working in an outdoor
environment such as museums and galleries. (Jindal-Snape, Davies, Collier, Howe, Digby &
Hay, 2013). This simply means that to build an effective physical teaching environment the
layout of the room and the desks would play a huge part. If the desks are all in a row all the time
it doesnt allow for much group work or discussion to be done quickly and consistently. Having
the desks in groups or at least an area where students can go to with a group would allow for
quick small group discussions. Many times in class and the trainings I have been to our tables
were arranged in groups and there were a few tables pushed together so that we were facing each
other and had plenty of table space to work on and work with. It made the two days feel more
relaxing and comfortable because the set up wasnt too structured and stiff. We were also able to

How to Encourage Creativity in Schools-Babcock |7

move around as we needed to which was a great option to have. Too often, mainly due to small
classroom sizes and high class sizes, many schools have every classroom set up in a very similar
way with rows of desks and students in alphabetical order and not much room for students to
move around to when they are facing a mental block or a need for a fresh start and new thinking.
This is typical and common because it is how things have been done for decades but as a
facilitator I have seen how important a physical layout can be in regards to the energy the space
then fosters and how people feel while working within that space.
You also dont want the walls to be too cluttered at certain times with information that is
not helpful to the challenge. In a classroom its a little more difficult because our rooms are
suppose to have many pictures and posters and things like that but this class taught me the
effectiveness of purposeful flip charts, posters and information which may not help me with the
layout of my room but it will help me design my handouts, my room for lessons, my
PowerPoints and other forms of media. At my FourSight training we had only relevant
information posted around and it wasnt too cluttered. Sometimes too much information at the
wrong time can be too distracting, especially for kids.
Lastly, now that I started to develop my own Facilitator tool kit and I have examples of
what I may need as a result of materials given to us during training I now know how important it
is to have the proper resources available within the room that students can easily access and to
not give them too many resources until they seem like they are stuck or need additional support.
Perhaps having a bunch of post it notes and markers around the room or in a central location will
allow for students to use tools such as Brainstorming or Stick Em Up as a group or even
individually. Having an area or a box with a collection of random pictures or items would help if
a student needed to force an association they could use the Forced or Visual Connections tools.

How to Encourage Creativity in Schools-Babcock |8

Students could get up and grab the binder or box and look through it on their own and then go
back to their seat once some ideas pop into their head. Our tables at training had everything we
needed: markers, post its, toys and there was a table that had additional items if we needed them.
And our presenters had materials as well. They were very prepared and it made us feel more
comfortable, relaxed, and worry-free.
Teaching Creatively versus Teaching Creativity:
If creativity is defined, and consequently empathized in schools, [], then it can be
viewed as an integral component in developing problem-solving ability in children. Creativity
can then be teamed with critical thinking and evaluative skills, and so on to produce the fuller
and better-developed products of creativity (Smith 2010). I think that it is very easy for
creativity to be used as a form of differentiating instruction and a tool to be used to enhance
learning and engagement in learning. Even if the whole process is not used or even if the
students are unaware that you are using it or they are using it I still think it can easily be pushed
into the classroom and into the curriculum. The students don't need to know they are using these
tools but they will because of them dive deeper into the content and the students will take more
responsibility for their own learning which will then make them be more involved in the content.
Even if teachers just used some of the terms and ideals of creativity I think it can enhance student
learning in all subject areas.
A teacher could easily have lesson warm ups that would encourage divergent thinking
prior to jumping into the lessons content or even in conjunction with it to get the students
thinking in a creative way and to get them excited about the content. For example if we are in an
English class we could use Stick Em Up to think of what is coming next in the plot of our book

How to Encourage Creativity in Schools-Babcock |9

we are reading. Then we would continue reading and see if it aligns with anything we came up
with. We could use an Evaluation matrix to pick a better way for Romeo and Juliet to have killed
themselves instead of using poison. Then go into a discussion of the end of the play. We can use
the Idea Box to begin a writing assignment to have students write their own endings to a book we
just finished reading. All of these are simple starters to get students to open up to the material
and explore it and use it in a way that is authentic and personal to themselves and their learning
styles. These can be done at the beginning of class to clear students minds of the goings-on of
the day, to get them interested in the content that will be discussed, to review things that have
been previously discussed before moving on to something new, and many more. But it doesnt
only need to be done at the beginning of a day or lesson. It can even be used in the middle of the
lesson when it seems the students have lost focus or arent able to think of new ideas because
theyve hit a wall. At a moment like that using the Excursion tool could help bring some students
back to focus.
A teacher can do something as simple as just using a tool, such as Word Dance to get
students to think of alternative adjectives and nouns that they often look past to make their
writing more interesting and individual. It doesnt necessarily required the students to know that
they are using divergent thinking or that they are using a specific tool but the act will result in the
students being more cognitive about their own learning and the work they are producing.
FourSight in the Classroom:
FourSight is an assessment that measures a persons preference towards phases of the
thinking process. After I got my FourSight profile I had new insights into how I will act with a
group and why I get frustrated during roadblocks or why I can easily get along socially with

H o w t o E n c o u r a g e C r e a t i v i t y i n S c h o o l s - B a b c o c k | 10
certain people and not so easily with others. It helped me to anticipate when and at what point in
the process I may hit a roadblock and how to work through it. FourSight is an outstanding tool
for helping teams think smarter. The peaks and valleys of a FourSight profile point to clear
avenues of growth and development. (Puccio, Your FourSight Presenter's Guide, 2012.) When I
read this in my facilitator manual it made me think of differentiating instruction for students and
knowing their strengths and weakness so that I can properly teach them. If students completed a
FourSight profile I could then know about these peaks and valleys and anticipate moments when
I will need to teach to those specific points and how to effectively do so.
When we talk about differentiating instruction for students it seems we only focus on
High, Medium and Low scoring students and not how to best reach those students. We know that
there are auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners but those are just cognitive skills and
preferences. While those are important they are barely ever taught to specifically and state tests
dont even reach all three areas which is a reason many students struggle with the new testing.
With FourSight there are four areas of preference: clarify, ideate, develop, implement. These
preferences are present in all aspects of life and may help to make it more clear for teachers to
know their students learning style.
I dont think it will solve all issues but it will definitely help to better reach students. I am
basing this off of my own experience with my own preferences. Since I am a low clarifier and I
know that I always try to ask more questions and get more information because I often miss
things when I dont. If I had a students with a similar preference and I did not provide the proper
information they may also lose focus or not fully understand what it the purpose of an activity.
Conversely, if a student was a High Clarifier and I didnt provide them with the proper
information they may become frustrated because that is something they need and want and they

H o w t o E n c o u r a g e C r e a t i v i t y i n S c h o o l s - B a b c o c k | 11
may struggle to move through an activity because of that. The profiles will help me to prevent
some of these issues and to also make me more prepared in my planning for lessons and
assessments.
I feel that this assessment may work best with older groups mainly because the
content of the assessment will be hard for younger students to consider and understand which
may result in inaccurate results. Older students from 6th grade and up through High School will
have had more life experiences that they can relate to and should be able to accurately answer the
questionnaire. I dont necessarily think that the students would need to know what their
preferences are as long as I knew. Not that I dont think they should know, but I think that since
it is an odd concept for untrained people it may confuse the students to go through the whole
history of it and what it all means, especially if they are younger students.
Overall I feel that these ideals are already in our schools they just arent used properly
and since deliberate creativity isnt as well known and accepted by people and professionals that
it needs to be taught and explained so that it can be used the effectively. Now that I am certified
and trained I hope to bring this knowledge into my school and specifically my classroom so that
less people are inexperienced in the topic. Even if I just lead by example and had my
administration come in and observe to see if there is growth because of it then it may be
something that they would like to implement into the school or get others trained in FourSight
and Creative Studies as well.
In Conclusion:
My training has made many of the Creative Problem Solving tools a daily thought and
practice of mine and I am constantly using the tools and thinking about my own thinking and

H o w t o E n c o u r a g e C r e a t i v i t y i n S c h o o l s - B a b c o c k | 12
how to improve my performance in many different ways, and by that I mean that I have diverged
and ideated a lot to come up with these different ways. Observing the facilitations lead by our
presenters and the discussions we had has proven that you can be nurtured into a more creative
person as long as you have the proper resources, and environments and you are effectively
engaged in the process itself. Many members of the training said they never thought of
themselves as a creative person and now they understand that everyone is creative and has the
ability to produce novel and useful solutions to challenges. I have physically seen myself and my
fellow trainees grow and develop over the time of this short training and it makes me very
hopeful that I can do the same with my future group(s) of students. I hope that when I have my
own classroom that I can get my students to this point and they will start to use these tools and
others to help them with their work, to be individual, to be creative and to really learn and master
the content I will be teaching them. Its not something that will happen overnight but the more
consistently it is being used the more indoctrinated and routine it will be for me and my students.

Resources
Davis, G. A. (1999). Creativity is forever. (5th ed.). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing
Company.

H o w t o E n c o u r a g e C r e a t i v i t y i n S c h o o l s - B a b c o c k | 13
Feist, Gregory J. (2010). The Function of Personality in Creativity: The Nature and Nurture of
the Creative Personality. In Kaufman, James C. & Sternberg, Robert J. (Eds.), The
Cambridge Handbook of Creativity (113-130). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Jindal-Snape, D., Davies, D., Collier, C., Howe, A., Digby, R., & Hay, P. (2013). The impact of
creative learning environments on learners: A systematic literature review. Improving
Schools, (16), 21-31. doi: doi:10.1177/1365480213478461
Miller, B., Vehar, J., Firestien, R., Thurber, S., & Nielsen, D. (2001). Creativity unbound: An
introduction to creative process. (5th ed.). Evanston, IL: FourSight, LLC.
Puccio, G.J., Miller, B., Thurber, S., & Schoen, R. (2012). Your FourSight Presenter's Guide
(3RD ed.). Evanston, Illinois: FourSight LLC.
Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., Barbero Switalski, L., & Reali, P. D. (2012).Creativity rising: Creative
thinking and creative problem solving in the 21st century. Buffalo, NY: ICSC Press.
Smith, Jeffrey K. & Smith, Lisa F. (2010). Educational Creativity. In Kaufman, James C. &
Sternberg, Robert J. (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity (250-264). New
York: Cambridge University Press.
Ward, Thomas B. & Kolomyts, Yuliya (2010). Cognition and Creativity. In Kaufman, James C.
& Sternberg, Robert J. (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity (93-112). New
York: Cambridge University Press.