Using Chess to Teach Perseverance with Principal El

How do you champion students through failure, success, and the creative process? In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood welcome Dr. Salome Thomas-EL, aka Principal EL, an award-winning principal, teacher, speaker, and author. Tune in to learn how to motivate children who find success early […]

Making Space for Creativity in the Trauma-Informed Classroom

Last year I started working in a high school, which was a great professional experience for me and a steep learning curve. Having previously worked with post-high school level students in college and universities, it was rewarding (and challenging!) to begin working with a younger cohort. Through this role, I met many new colleagues and […]

I Practice What I Teach

For 17 years, I’ve observed and taught children, ages six to nine, to appreciate the wonders of the world and to find their unique place within it. Maria Montessori calls this period in child development “The Age of Imagination.” To truly see my students and deepen the connection to each one of them requires immediate […]

Cultivating an Environment for Well-Being in Schools

Staff well-being and creativity require structural and cultural change When I hear concerns about teacher well-being, I am often frustrated by the short-term tokenistic measures that are suggested. I have nothing against buying cakes for the staffroom, but no amount of cakes will make a difference if my daily work is distrusted and undervalued. The […]

Creativity and the Well-Being of Educators

As we approach the tail end of the winter months, cooped up in our houses, and feeling a general sense of isolation and fatigue, our resourcefulness to maintain our well-being is key. Right now, there is really nothing more important than care for our well-being and the well-being of others, because, of course, the two […]

If You Want Creative, Independent Thinkers,
Focus on Emotional Literacy

I strongly believe that students need to feel safe at school and require a climate that enables them to be emotionally ready to learn in the classroom. This environment can only be established if we develop strong relationships built upon mutual respect and trust. Our students need to feel that teachers and key adults care […]

Go Big or Go Home:
Encouraging Risk-Taking in the Classroom

Why go big? Go big or go home is a phrase we frequently use to encourage someone to take a risk. Why is going big so important? Because the “big” is where great things happen. There are many similar sayings out there, such as “no one ever achieved greatness by playing it safe” or “great […]

Five Strategies to Build a Thinking Classroom

Research has shown that children are able to learn more between the ages of 0 and 3 than at any other time in their lives. They are natural-born learners – curious, creative, critical, independent thinkers. However, the first time that many begin to doubt themselves as learners is when they start formal education in schools. […]