At St. Michael’s creativity is one of four essential personal skills that are central to our programme. Here are some reasons why:
- Creativity is linked to motivation. Research shows that when engaged in a creative activity, learners are more absorbed and more likely to be resilient when it becomes more challenging.
- Creativity engages higher order thinking skills. Creativity helps learners to connect with prior learning and apply knowledge and skills to the new activity.
- Creativity contributes to increased self esteem and emotional development. The creative process involves lots of trial and error as well as pushing through problems to be successful. This experience is essential for emotional growth and encourages self expression.
- Creativity helps learners think about things in a different way. Creativity encourages learners to look at problems from different perspectives, which can help them find solutions that are more creative and innovative. It also encourages children to try something new and take risks.
We are impressed with the creativity involved in the making of this Japanese danjiri, a wooden cart in the shape of a shrine or temple. Created at home by one of our young learners, it is the perfect example of why creativity is important.
