Subject: Creativity

Posted by Dexter Chapin on 10/10/2010
In Reply To:Creativity Posted by Kathy Arizmendi on 10/10/2010

Message:

I can only speak for myself and not others. I teach in an independent school; mostly seniors. First, the background: we admit the kids scoring the highest on the entrance exams, but we admit just about the same number of kids who score in the single digits. That's because we have a dual focus on the arts and sciences; every student takes a lot of science but every kid takes a whole lot of art in one form or another. Second, we push a culture of performance. The students present what they have learned, in science or art, to a larger, more diverse audience than is the usual case. Third, the thing that ties the whole curriculum together is a faculty focus on relationships with the kids, forged in class, on the field, and in the wider world. And lastly, most of the faculty have done things other than teach, and they bring that experience into the school.
The net result is a high level of trust between the student and the teacher such that the student can be wrong. In the science department the highest good is the disproved hypothesis. A confirmed hypothesis does not teach much, but a disproved hypothesis opens doors to learning.
I use systems dynamics in all my classes and working through the issues of model building provides many, many opportunities for creative problem solving. Some, not all, students thrive. But when it works, it really works. I just sent a kid to Stanford on a full ride. Her dream? To do a modern dance on the roof of SLAC.

Follow Ups:

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