Creativity and the Art Teacher

Paper Summary:

This paper provides a definition of creativity, followed by an outline of various factors, largely under the art teacher's control, that are prerequisites for fostering creativity: the proper setting; students who are not inhibited by fear of freedom; a teaching style that blends acceptance, seriousness toward art productions, a sense of fun, the absence of a desire to dictate acceptable outcomes and the time and materials for making art.

From the Paper:

"Art teachers, and teachers of many other disciplines, proclaim the nurturing of creativity as a principal component of their jobs. But definitions of creativity may vary considerably and what one individual sees as a creative exercise may seem to another to be rote learning of the simplest sort. In order to foster genuine creativity an art teacher must understand what creativity is and then develop the setting, attitudes, pedagogical style, and opportunities for children to develop their creativity. Although creativity is considered important in many subject areas--from learning to write to learning mathematics--it is often seen as the particular goal of art classes. But this does not mean that merely placing paint pot and paper in front of a child will nurture her/his latent creativity."

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