As human brains grow and develop, the natural creativity of an individual starts to diminish. There are many theories as to why this tendency could be. Students and teachers may say it is because of the rigid guidelines teachers must follow with their students. Others insist it the idea that the strong emphasis on STEM subjects discourages art related fields.
According to Sir Ken Robinson in his TED talk about schools’ effects on creative thinking, children are more open to creativity and suggest bold ideas without the fear of being wrong. He said that the issue with the way large corporate businesses and education systems are run is that businesses and teachers capitalize on error rather than success. He said, “We are educating children out of their creative capacity.”
Robinson elaborates with famous influential artist Pablo Picasso’s quote, “all children are born artists.” According to Robinson, that the real issue is remaining an artist as one grows up. Classes such as visual and performing arts as well as English writing classes can encourage students to expand their creative thinking and push mental boundaries in order to develop their own thoughts and opinions rather that regurgitating what they are taught..
Senior Joslyn Schafer likes to let her creativity shine through her outfits and daily clothing. Schafer said, “I like to express myself in subtle ways that show alot about my personality.” Whether this be in her choice of sweater or laid back hairstyle for the day, she has found ways to express her unique choices in a variety of ways.
PVHS History teacher, David Hult, works to remove the textbook based mindset from his classroom. “I think it’s true that as students go through the [levels of high school], they become less creative,” Said Hult, “ Part of the job of teachers is to keep that creativity going. Curiosity and creativity should be an adult trait to. In history, textbooks confine creativity, so as a teacher, you have to bring a different angle.”
Similarly to Hult, many will agree that textbooks refine the limit to which students can reach with their creative thinking by telling students what to think or how to feel about certain subjects. For subjects such as math, creativity is not a natural trait.
For subjects like English and History in which the mind can be expanded, Hult said it is the teachers duty to go beyond the textbook and teach students the full truth about what happened in history.
Having some sort of a creative outlet or challenge keeps students from taking the easy way out. It can help to stretch the mind and keep teenagers’ minds young as they age in wisdom. Many believe that self-expression is an essential to keeping one’s identity unique.
