How Schools Are Undermining Your Children’s Creativity and What You Can Do About It

A Routine Problem

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Schools often rely on routines for a variety of reasons: they facilitate standardization, simplify life for educators and administrators, and provide students with a sense of comfort and security. While these reasons are valid, we may be taking the concept of routine too far.

Picture our brains on a seesaw of surprises. On one end, we have an overload of surprises that can lead to anxiety, while on the opposite side, a lack of surprises can result in boredom, which raises cortisol levels and disrupts learning, focus, and memory. Striking a balance is key. As a society, we are great at establishing routines; now, it’s time to give equal attention to the importance of surprise.

Research indicates that surprise is essential for effective learning. Unexpected information and events capture our attention, heighten our emotions by roughly 400%, broaden our understanding, and inspire us to discuss our newfound knowledge. From infancy, surprise stimulates us to explore, encouraging us to absorb information from the world around us. Ultimately, surprise enriches the learning experience and fosters creativity, forging new neural connections that inspire fresh perspectives.

So, how can we inject surprise into classrooms or home learning environments? Here are some suggestions:

• Pose thought-provoking questions: “Why do you think elephants have wrinkles? What do you believe Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed about as a child?”
• Put a spin on mundane assignments: “Imagine Selena Gomez and Emma Watson in a food fight. If Selena throws a chunk of tofu at Emma at a speed of 2 ft/hr over a distance of 8 ft, how long does Emma have to duck?”
• Introduce an element of mystery: “Today we’re doing something exciting, but I’m not revealing it just yet!”
• Gamify concepts: Use games like broken telephone to illustrate complex ideas like synaptic pathways.
• Engage with the outside world: Write letters, meet new people, or visit new places. Remember the joy of field trips? You can create those experiences anytime!

In short, shake things up. If our brains become too adept at predicting the next event, there’s little incentive to remain engaged and alert.

Tackling Ambiguity

Another significant issue in education is the lack of emphasis on helping students tolerate ambiguity. While we excel at teaching kids what to know, we often fail to prepare them for the unknown—to wonder, ponder, and accept that sometimes there are no definitive answers, and that life is filled with surprises.

During my time as a college instructor, my seniors frequently approached me, anxious and in tears, worried about their future and uncertain about their career paths. They had grown accustomed to receiving directives, but now, instead of viewing themselves as explorers, they felt like failures.

Take inspiration from a Hawaiian teaching method where students sit with their questions for an entire day before seeking answers. This technique encourages them to embrace uncertainty and appreciate the value of doubt.

To enhance tolerance for ambiguity, consider these simple strategies:

• Encourage daydreaming: It’s beneficial for our brains. You might even replace naptime with family daydream time.
• Ask open-ended questions: “What do you think brings people true happiness? What is one of the greatest aspects of being human?”
• Respond to questions with curiosity: When kids inquire, reply with, “What do you think?”
• Invite friends from diverse backgrounds: Learn different perspectives by visiting their homes.
• Create free-form art together: Engage in projects that have no guidelines or templates.

While I’m not advocating for a complete elimination of routines, I firmly believe that education should be as captivating as a gripping book or an exciting video game. The reason we can’t put down page-turners or walk away from challenging games is their expert use of surprise.

In essence, we anticipate a beginning, middle, and end, along with challenges and rewards. However, it’s the unpredictability that keeps us engaged. Some surprises may be delightful, while others could be tough, but we emerge from them feeling accomplished because we’ve expanded our comfort zones. Like cherished books, immersive games, and our most memorable discoveries, education should evoke a sense of adventure rather than confinement.

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Summary

In summary, the rigid routines in schools are stifling creativity in our children. By embracing surprises and encouraging a tolerance for ambiguity, we can foster a more engaging and enriching educational experience. Let’s make learning an adventure filled with exploration and discovery!