Performance character

While creativity is perhaps most strongly linked to the imaginative instincts of the youngest students, educators can play an important role in fostering creativity in all students — and, by doing so, better engage students as active participants in their learning. This can involve integrating the arts into a variety of content areas, but creativity is not limited to the artistic domain: it can be part of scientific experimentation, exploring mathematical concepts in different ways, considering multiple narratives of historical events in literature classes, or by engaging in project-based learning in the community. Offering choices to students also supports creativity and fosters their sense of agency. Because collaboration can increase creativity for both students and educators, working in teams — followed by periods of individual reflection — can provide exposure to multiple perspectives and prompt the generative processes of creativity. 

Supporting creativity in our systems and institutions starts with building the right environments. We know that inclusive, welcoming cultures that give space for people to contribute their diverse perspectives and experiences are more likely to result in creative ideas. Similarly, schools, districts and other organizations can facilitate creativity by valuing collaboration and by creating structures and processes to support team-based work, bringing staff out of their silos and engaging the broader community of stakeholders, including students and families. Encouraging curiosity, risk-taking, and experimentation by having leaders explicitly model and reward such behavior — even when taking risks might result in failure — can also contribute to developing a creative culture, where people are not afraid to try out new ideas and see where they lead. Using an iterative approach can help mitigate risks and lead to more creative problem-solving.