Creativity is often misunderstood. When most individuals hear the word creativity, they immediately connect it to their drawing skills or some type of artistic skills and declare that they are not creative because they cannot perform those skills as well as someone else. Creativity is engaging in your creative process. When you engage in your creative process, you are problem solving, critically thinking, exercising time management, finding meaning, building, expressing ideas, making connections, and taking risks, and discovering your own way of knowing. These are necessary and important skills for students to possess as they embark on life after graduation to be productive global citizens. Like a muscle, these skills need to be used and practiced daily to contribute to creating a healthy community for all of us.
Every student should have the opportunity to thrive in school by developing their creative process: ideation, choice, research, attaching meaning, independent learning, and discovering their own way of knowing. This is necessary for students to be successful in the world we live in today. Making time and space to provide opportunities for students to develop their creative process in all subjects is essential.
Changing my approach from comparing myself to others to learning from others and then processing and applying that new knowledge in my own way has proven to be valuable. Not only on my ability to learn but my identity and self-worth. This is what we as teachers can do for ourselves to continue to use our creative process to empower us and then empower our students by providing time and space for them to develop their creative process and discover who they are and how they think. This is what transforms us, this is what empowers us, this is how all of us can shine our light, share our strengths for the greater good! No more cookie cutter curriculum. No more one size fits all education.
Community Projects
Community members will have opportunities to experiment with different mediums and participate in collaborative creative projects that empower them and uplift the place we live. Check the Community Creativity page for scheduled events. If you would like to participate, support, or have an idea for an event, please contact me.
Creativity Workshops
Are you struggling with thinking outside of the box? Is your work group/organization/company stuck? An hour of focusing on each individuals’ strengths and creative process will help! When we share our ideas, ways of thinking and knowing, we create opportunity to authentically collaborate. Through sharing our unique process, we bring diversity and inclusion to our problem solving! For pricing, scheduling, and more information, please contact me.
Workshops for Teachers/Administration/Support staff
With all the obligations we have as educators, the responsibilities, tedious tasks to fulfill, and students to worry about, it is easy to slip into checking things off and then collapsing into bed only to wake up and prepare for the same race, day after day. On our time off, we sleep…..or get sick or continue at the same pace to get chores done at home. What if we could slow down a bit and reflect each day on doing good work rather than just checking off a task? What if we took the time to create ways that worked better for us? What if we then created better ways that would work for our students? What if we then released control and let the students discover what would work better for them? What if we demanded more control over the education system because we are the ones in the trenches doing the work…we are the experts! With evidence-based practices, I can show you how to slow down, take a breath, and create sustainable engaging and empowering learning experiences for you and your students. You will learn how to transform your classroom into a safe learning environment, not only for your students but for yourself as well.
The research I conducted in my master’s program and the work done in my classroom confirmed and validated what I have believed and intuitively known for years that creativity can increase student engagement.
Through professional development workshops and/or one on one consulting, teachers will first learn how to engage and empower themselves through developing their own creative process, second, how to create a safe environment for teaching and learning, third, how to engage and empower students by providing opportunities to develop their own creative process.
For pricing, scheduling, and more information, please contact me.
One-on-One Consulting
This can be done in-person or Zoom. You can take the professional development workshop on your own or maybe you have another challenge that I might be able to help with.
Which method will work better for you?
For pricing, scheduling, and more information, please contact me.
Presentations
What organizations support your school district and/or your community? Is there a leadership committee or a school board that would be interested in hearing what I have to offer? Please contact me to schedule a presentation.
