For today’s lecture we discussed that creativity needs space. We got introduced to Room 13 and began by watching a video clip to find out more about the room. Room 13 was originally an unused room in Caol Primary School. However, ten years ago the room got transformed into an art room ran by the pupils.

This is a strong example of a school using its environment to provide young people with opportunities for creative collaboration. The room is available to all the students for use at any time of the day.

The room has many different materials and resources which inspires and motivates the students to be fully creative. The Nesta report (2006) shows that Room 13 had a positive impact on young people’s lives and learning. Many elements of Room 13 have been borrowed and applied to schools all across the world. After Room 13, the school’s attendance and attainment had increased and the school had won an award for school improvement (Room 13 International, n.d.).

During today’s art workshop we got the chance to make our own paintbrush by using resources such as wool, sticks and string. I thought this was a really interesting task as it made me think about how we usually just take everything for granted. It forced me to try and think of how I could make most effective paintbrush and what materials I would need to use to create this. I also had to think about the requirements for my paintbrush for example I wanted it to be sturdy and secure and wanted the bristles to be smooth.

It was really interesting to see the different approaches the class took. For example, some people had went for smaller detail brushes, some had went for more texturising brushes and some had went for double ended brushes.

As a teacher this activity may be difficult to do in schools were reassures are scarce. However, it may also be beneficial not having enough resources for everyone as it would encourage the class to think outside the box. As future teachers we also need to think ethically, discussing with the class that there is only a fixed amount of materials so to use them wisely. I think this activity is great for pupils as it gives them freedom to be creative and allows them to now worry about following the rules. This will give them a sense of pride when they see their final design, knowing that was their creation all from their own imagination.

Creativity allows students to express themselves. It challenges them to think outside the box, problem solve and come up with innovative solutions. Creativity in the classroom is also important as it can help reduce stress and anxiety (Edsys, 2017). Some young people may feel intimidated by other people’s work. It is important as future teachers encourage individuality and praise that the class has different approaches and ideas, as it showcases the classes ability to all be creative. Some children may be inspired by others work and take on certain ideas.

We then used out paintbrushes to create a painting of the Scottish Highlands. As I had only made one paintbrush I had to paint tactically. This meant I had to paint the lighter areas first. The lecturer described the setting of the scene and we made notes of what he said-

• Picture to be divided into three.
• Upper third was to be a cloudy sky.
• Draw a mountain below the sky.
• Mountain should rise up on the right.
• Draw a loch on the bottom left.
• Water to be reflective.
• In the foreground draw land with trees.

I thought it was really interesting as although we all had the same instructions, everyone’s paintings were completely different from each other. I thought this would be a great task to do in class as children would take in things differently and it allows them to explore their creativity. I also think this task allows your individuality to come through as everyone takes in things differently meaning everyone will have a different outcome. I also think a good task would for the pupils to come up with their own creative scene. The pupils could then get into partners where they describe to each other and draw them out.

In today’s drama workshop we looked at four different drama conventions. These included mime, slow motion, monologue and voices in the head. At first, I was nervous to do the monologue, however I realised there is no right and wrong to drama. Everyone can take a different approach to the same scene and that is okay.

The topic we focused on was World War II. I thought this would be an interesting way to combine history and drama together as it would make history more engaging for pupils. It was also allow them to do their own research into the topic for their scenes. This would allow pupils to empathise with the experiences and feelings of the evacuees.

Overall, today I learned that being challenged and outside of your comfort zone can be a good thing, but evidence shows when people feel stressed and pressurised, they can stick to more traditional and less imaginative ways of thinking (Fisher and Williams, 2004).

References

Edsys. (2017). Role and Importance of Creativity in Classroom | Edsys. [online] Available at: https://www.edsys.in/creativity-in-classroom/ [Accessed 6 Dec. 2019].

Fisher, R. and Williams, M. (2004). Unlocking Creativity: Teaching Across the Curriculum. 1st ed. [ebook] London: Routledge, pp.7,8, 19. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=W6WOTKVVjCwC&oi=fnd&pg=PA6&dq=what+is+creativity&ots=arvq9nwjy_&sig=vRe69TmPolK5JOaVWBCCcWFsQBE&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=what%20is%20creativity&f=false [Accessed 8 Dec. 2019].

Room 13 International. (n.d.). What happens in Room 13? – Room 13 International. [online] Available at: http://room13international.org/about/what-happens-in-room-13/ [Accessed 17 Dec. 2019].