~InVeNtIvEnEsS~

Creativity and imagination seem to be things of the past these days.  Many kids don't know how to use their imagination anymore.  When I was younger, I was always outside with my sister making up silly games and stories that would last us hours. 

It seems to me that as we grow older, our imagination and creativity is stifled by rubrics, specific guidelines, and grading. How does a teacher go about grading one's creativity and imagination? A lot of times, students grow discouraged when they turn in their work and they receive a lower grade than expected because it goes on the opinion of the teacher. 

Encouraging creativity should be a vital part of teaching.  Students should not have to follow as many guidelines as are required. By this, I am saying that there shouldn't always be step by step instructions on how to do every little project, assignment, or paper that is assigned.  From personal experience when guidelines for any type of assignment to be handed in are typed out, I would only do what was required and not try to use my imagination to come up with anything elaborate.  

By encouraging the use of one's imagination and being creative, you as a teacher are teaching students how to use these.  While there is no way to teach creativity and the use of imagination, letting students come up with their own ways to do something will get their minds working.  While all the ideas that students may come up with may not be what you would have said, there should always be encouragement.  Even if there are silly ideas presented, calling a student out in front of their peers will lead them to stop using their imaginations and creativity. 

Creativity is an essential skill to have in the 21st Century.  Without creativity, life would be pretty boring. I know I wouldn't want to live in a world where people weren't creative, it would get old real fast. 

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.” ~George Bernard Shaw

Reflectiveness

Why do most teachers and students find it so hard to reflect?  Hmmm....that is a very good question. 

Reflection is not something that everyone knows how to do.   It is not something that is taught, but should be.  Everyone should take some time, maybe not everyday, but once in awhile to really look back on what has been going on in their life.  Often times we are so busy with our everyday lives that we don't give ourselves the chance to just stop and think; to ask yourself "why did I do that" or "how could I have made that situation better."  

I know that it is often hard for me to reflect on my academics because I don't always like what I find.  For example, if I get a mediocre score on a quiz and I take the time to reflect on why that may be, it is usually because I found something more important to do....This usually includes socializing until all hours of the night, cleaning my room, or just putting off my studies because I just need a break.  Reflection often makes me more upset with myself when I see how my priorities are most often not in the right order.

In  my opinion, reflection is highly essential in teaching.  Teachers need to be able to look back on how their day went and be able to really find out what worked or didn't work.  Reflection is a key way to improve one's teaching in their classroom. Reflection is also essential for students as well.  Having them take the time to look at their academic path could very well help many to make changes necessary for good academic growth. 

When you take the time to stop and really think about your previous actions, you may notice that not everything may be going in the direction that you want.  If this becomes a habit, it may help one to become more sure about their decisions and what direction they want any aspect of their life to go.

Passion

Some teachers have it, some teachers don't.  There has been many times that I have been in a class that I would have enjoyed much more had the teacher really loved teaching. 

From personal experience, the teachers that made me dislike certain subjects in school did not put teaching first.  They were more concerned in coaching our below average sports teams.  This made me very sad for not only my education, but every other student's future education as well.

Even though there are those teachers who would rather be any where else than in a classroom, there are the teachers who were made to teach.  They love everything about teaching.  They love the subject they teach, they enjoy teaching the material to students, and they will always take the time to answer any questions.  They want to make sure you succeed, not fail.

I personally have always loved math, and I was actually not too bad at it. Throughout high school I had three different math teachers.  Their teaching styles were drastically different.  My math 1 and 2 teacher was the sweetest teacher I have ever had.  She was always smiling and very soft spoken.  Anyone could tell you that she loved math and was very passionate about teaching it to students.  My math 3 teacher was a different story.  Although it was fairly obvious that he was really passionate about math in general, he was one of the worst teachers ever.  His teaching style just didn't work well for me and a lot of the times he wasn't very good at relating the information to us in a way that connected.  There were many times that we had to teach ourselves the lesson or get help from the other math teachers.  After taking several classes from him, I really didn't want to pursue any of the higher math courses, but when it came to scheduling for the next year I saw that he wouldn't be the teacher and so I decided to give it a try.

I am so glad that I did.  My math 4 and 5 teacher was the best teacher ever.  Although he was the really nerdy, I love math so much type of teacher, he made math easy.  He knew how to connect with the students with his very silly math jokes and outrageous math music during work time.  He was so passionate about teaching math, it was insane.  He wanted his students to ask him questions; wanted them to understand.  He asked me what I wanted to do regarding college, and made sure to check the college's requirements to make sure I took enough higher level classes in high school.  He encouraged me to go take calculus during senior year, and took the time before, during lunch, and after school to help me with any questions I had.  And trust me, I sure had questions about calculus....ugh!   To this day, I still consider him one of my favorite teachers. 

I truly believe that if teachers don't have passion for what they do, it will affect their students and their enthusiasm to learn.