Inventiveness

Creativity and inventiveness are a huge part of why I decided to be a teacher. The teacher that inspired me to teach, Mr. Bonstetter, was always using out-of-the box ways to get us to remember Spanish verbs and grammar rules. He used cooking projects, arts and crafts, actions, and songs and chants to help us remember what we needed to know. But, like all of my other classes, he never answered the "why" question. Why is this important? Why should I learn this?

Sir Ken Robinson criticizes the education system in his speech, claiming that it squashes creativity which should hold equal importance with literacy. He defines creativity as "original ideas that have value" and likened education systems worldwide to strip mines that mine only for what they want: in this case intelligence that will allow kids to get a "real" job. He describes this as "educating people out of their creative capacities." He questions why dance is not a part of formal education, and he questions the people that decided what was and was not important. He realizes that due to the ever-changing world, creativity is something that needs to be fostered and encouraged to allow for future generations that can come up with solutions to problems and use their creativity instead of squashing it with logic.

One of the things he said really struck me. He said, "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original." This reinforces the idea that learning is inherently messy and creative. I am always terrified of making mistakes, because I have been taught that mistakes are a result of a personal failure. In his speech, Sir Ken Robinson redefines intelligence as diverse, dynamic, and distinct. As much as we would like to think it does, the American education system does not allow for or encourage diverse learners. Those who are kinestetic learners like the dancer he described are labeled as ADD or ADHD and treated for something that should be encouraged.

I think it really took this speech for me to realize how incredibly flawed formal education is. I've joked with my friends that when we were kids we were told that we could be anything we want to be and now we realize that that old adage is complete bull. What they were really saying was, "You can be anything you want to be as long as it will get you a steady job." Slowly, the system pushes people toward "reasonable" jobs like math, science, and languages. We coin phrases like "starving artist," implying that artists cannot be taken seriously for trying to turn a hobby into a career. But who decided that art can only be a hobby? That dance is only for those with the right body? Creativity is not valued in the American school system, yet it is valued in society. People praise historical figures for thinking outside of the box, but people exiting the school system are equipped only with facts and not the ability to think creatively and inventively.

End rant.