Facilitating creativity in the classroom: Professional development for K12 teachers

Abstract

This chapter describes a graduate level course offered to in-service K-12 teachers. The course supports teachers in learning about creativity in general as well as recognizing qualities of creativity in themselves and their children and providing strategies for incorporating creativity across the curriculum.The 4Ps of creativity: person, process, product, and press are elaborated with emphasis on the personalitytraits that are commonly associated with creativity. The Four C Model of creativity: mini-c, little-c, Pro-c, and Big-C is presented with an emphasis on the significance of mini-c and little-c for child development and learning. And, finally, assignments that are designed to raise teachers’ awareness of both their own and their students’ creative potential are described.