Creativity in the Classroom

It doesn’t take much to infuse a little bit of creativity into your instruction. A stack of post-it notes can transform your post assessment into post-it assessment. A box of crayons can turn a worksheet into a work of art. Simply allowing your students a bit of flexibility and encouraging them to get creative can create an actively engaged class.

Inspired by several 2017 LOEX presentations that featured creative techniques, (including drawing, bellwork, and low-tech tools) I began thinking about small ways I could try making incorporating creativity into my instruction.

Walking into one of my instruction sessions, someone might wonder why the tables are filled with crayons and colored pencils. I often have something for my students to begin working on immediately when they enter the instruction space. It is generally a list of questions to get them thinking about some of the topics of the session. I ask them to answer with words, illustrations, or even poetry. It sets a tone for the session and has worked well with a variety of students from freshmen to graduate students. I even have had faculty get excited and join in on the fun.

Although creativity is encouraged in my classroom, I allow students to make the choice. For some it is an opportunity to flex their creativity and engage with the material in a new way.

I’d love to hear more about how you have used creativity in the classroom. Comment below or tweet me @librarymedlin!

RISE [Race, Identity, & Social Equity] Conference 2019

Here are my presentations for the RISE[Race, Identity, & Social Equity] 2019 conference at Texas A&M University.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined me for a conversation about critical classrooms at Texas A&M.  Here are some of the ideas shared about how to incorporate critical pedagogy into our classrooms:

  • examine topics from multiple sources~ not just one (especially diverse sources)
  • push boundaries
  • facilitate open discussions
  • give students choices

ideas from RISE conferenceHere are some of the resource shared by participants:

If you are looking for diverse resources to incorporate into your classroom, I recommend taking a look at this Diversity and Inclusion Libguide or reaching out to me or your librarian.

Thanks to everyone for joining us for our panel.  If you are interested in working together, just let us know!

gtbailey@library.tamu.edu
rhankins@library.tamu.edu
fmarini@library.tamu.edu
zmedzo@library.tamu.edu

Rutgers Commencement

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I had the opportunity to travel to New Jersey to walk across the stage at Commencement.  Sierra Laddusaw joined me on a fun trip.