I recently volunteered for two hours at my son's preschool and observed something quite shocking while I was there.
The kids were making clowns (this isn't the shocking part): pasting heads, bodies, hats, etc to a piece of paper. The teacher told me she didn't care where the hat went, as long as the body parts were together. As I was helping one child paste his clown together, the teacher noticed that his head was squished close between his hat and body; she asked the child if that was where he wanted the clown's head or did he want it up higher? The child said he liked it the way it was. I was left thinking: "Does it really matter where the head goes?" I think kids have an idea of what order the body goes in. So, who cares if the head is further down the body or the shoes are off to the side rather than below the knees? Let the kid create the way he wants to.
I believe this is where it all begins--being forced to adhere to a certain way of doing things.
Later on, the kids were running around playing and one girl told a boy that he wasn't putting the (fake) muffins in the tin properly. (There were 3 chocolate and 3 vanilla). She felt that they should look orderly while he didn't really care. I told her that he could play with the muffins however he wanted and that's how we express our creativity.
The conclusion: the stifling of creativity starts in preschool. If you have kids, try to get them to hold onto their creativity as much as possible. This is what the world is lacking.
About Me
- Tamara Hanson
- I started writing at a very young age, penning stories about the Titanic, ghosts, and other paranormal things. I then took my masterpieces and taped them to my desk at school. Some kids had their art, I had my stories. In 1995, I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Regina. At one point in my life, I thought I could help people through counselling. However, the writing muse kept calling my name and, after a ten year break of not writing, I picked up my pen again...or rather, turned on my used Mac computer that I bought from my Psychology professor, which had no hard drive. (Remember, this is the 90s.) Fast forward about a million years, and here I am, sitting in front of my computer, hammering out stories for the world to enjoy.
7 comments:
I think that is so true. I do not have kids of my own, but my brothers and cousins all have kids in which I have adopted as my own (for now). Either way, I let them create as much as they like. I usually like to draw them pictures of cars and faces on white paper (when I baby sit), and let them color. I love to see how they see the cars and faces in their little minds. It's amazing to me how the girls tend to color with pink-ish colors instinctively, while the boys tend to use browns and dark blues...and these are 2-3yr olds, so we(the adults) don't have that much influence on them yet (I think). That's just their little creative minds going to work.
Sorry for the long comment ;-)
I don't think this sounds good with my penchent for pink.
Oh, almost forgot. It's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For Your Success is hosting a tribute.
We're thinking about you, Tamara. Hoping you are feeling well. Touch base will you; would like to discuss an idea.
Hello again Tamara,
Thanks for visiting yesterday.
I remember particular episodes from when I was very little being forced in school to think and do things in a certain way. Creativity was definitely stereotyped. I can still remember the teacher's annoyance or amusement when one went against convention.
In later years, when I discovered my writing craft in a new way, I had to undo all that I had been taught to find out my own passions and loves.
I have had no regrets since, while tremendously enjoying a self-proclaimed rebellion that fosters my writing on a constant voyage of self-discovery.
Who knows where I'd be if my imagination had been stifled instead of nourished.
Great point.
I do everything I can to encourage creativity in my children, from buying them blank notebooks and crayons to letting them help me with my webcomic to playing with LEGOs together. I am so grateful that my parents were supportive of my creative instincts - look where I am today!
Ian
I saw a movie that followed this same storyline...a child is taught to be compliant, to set aside individuality and creativity...then he goes to another school where the teacher fosters those qualities and he is lost. I, at the moment, can't remember the name of the movie...which is maddening!
Drop by and visit me, will you, Tamara. I'd appreciate you contributing to my Commentathon. It's quickly winding to a close.
I've been having some difficulty writing of late. Perhaps a Writing Muse is exactly what I need.
An interesting new look you have taken on. Stopped in to check on you, see how you are.
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