Last week I opened my supply door where all of the pipecleaners, construction paper, glitter glue, and extra materials are stored. My students had all chosen a topic from history ranging from the Hindenberg to the invention of Roller Coasters. What were we searching for? “What makes something ‘historical’?” They created. They researched. They wrote. They designed. It was one of those moments that teaching is all about. After lunch, I asked, “Would you guys like to work on something else for a bit? We have been working on this project ALL day!” I received an answer in unison, “NO! This is FUN!” Music to a teacher’s ears…. It was history. It was learning. It was fun. Who was I to get in their way? In the end, there were models, diaries, short plays, and even a jeopardy game. We could have learned about these historical topics in a million different ways. Watching their presentations, I saw their understandings and their pride in what they had created. I saw the motivation that came through the chance to be creative.
Open the door to creativity. Let them make a mess. Let them design, explore, and develop their own products to demonstrate their learning. When you sit back and realize that their ideas far surpassed anything you’d written in your lesson plans, you’ll know that you’ve done your job.
