Six Tips to Foster Student Creativity

Creativity is a valuable trait that students will put to use in school and life. It helps them think outside the box, come up with innovative ideas, and take different approaches to solve problems. Here are six tips to build student creativity:

1. Ask their opinions. Invite your students to contribute their thoughts and ideas in class and give them the freedom to explore them. Phrase your questions in a way that sparks deeper thought. Urge students to question assumptions.
2. Encourage risk-taking. Tell your students that you not only want them to try new things, you expect them to. Dismiss the notion that mistakes are bad. Remind your students that failure is how they learn and grow.
3. Have them learn by doing. Project-based learning is a great way to get students involved in meaningful, active learning. Offer opportunities for your students to research complex problems and present their findings.
4. Advise students to do what they love. It’s important to fuel your students’ creativity in the classroom, but it’s just as important to remind them that life is full of opportunities to learn and better themselves. Talk about your passions and push them to find their own.
5. Talk about reading. Few pastimes spark the imagination like reading. Even if you teach an unrelated subject, invite your students to share what they’re reading and what they love about those books. Get them talking.
6. Take a step back. Try not to hover or micro-manage the way your students do things. Let them try, fail, try again, and experiment.

Your students’ creative thinking could help develop solutions to the greatest problems of today. Establish a classroom environment that nurtures creativity, and you’ll benefit not just your students, but the world.