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Creativity is the bringing into being of something which did not exist before, either as a product
a process or a thought. (Creativity & Creative Thinking, 1997-2011, Infinite Innovations Ltd.) Each one
of us are creative every day because we are constantly changing the ideas which we hold about the
world around us. When we change ourselves, the world changes within us, both in the way the world is
affected by our changed actions and in the changed way that we experience the world.
Before I took this course, creativity meant taking a specific idea and producing an outcome that
was expected by the teacher. Since I have studied this course, my whole outlook on creativity has
drastically changed. I have learned so much. Art is good brain food. Art engages childrens senses in
open-ended play and develops cognitive, social-emotional and multi-sensory skills. As children progress
from preschool, to kindergarten, into elementary school and beyond, it continues to provide
opportunities for brain development, mastery self-esteem and creativity. Art is a cooperative learning
experience that provides pleasure and challenge. Through art, students learn complex thinking skills and
master many developmental tasks. (A. Reyner, 2012) Through discussions in the child behavioral class I
attended here at Baker College, I have learned Children who draw pictures about stories they
have read improve their reading comprehension, story understanding and motivation to read new
materials they have not seen before. Art tools provide early learners with pre-writing experiences, as
they grasp tools that later help them hold a pencil for writing.
Art and Science also go hand in hand. The materials have scientific properties or physical
attributes, many of which undergo a change of state when mixed with other art materials or left to
dry. (A. Reyner, 2012) Art can be an aid in a mathematical way. Students can work with beads which
can teach them numbers, positive and negative space, classification, and sequencing and pattern
recognition. Art is not only about emotion, color and aesthetics, its also about rhythm, patterns and
problem solving.
There is so much learning that takes place as a child creates art. Not only do children develop
eye-hand coordination, but their brain connects to their visual and motor development in ways that
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help students master real life skills. Art develops our imaginations and art helps us to discover new ways
to process information. The problem solving, critical thinking, planning and adaptation inherent in art
making is much more complex than most people realize. The amount of art materials and recycled
objects that are used in art provide new and different learning as they introduce new problems to solve
and new challenges to creative thinking. (Creativity & Creative Thinking, 1997-2011)
Being an early childhood teacher requires the willingness to wear many hats. The teacher needs
to be flexible and the job description changes on a daily basis. The teacher acts as a guide, leading
students down new paths and allowing them to choose their learning and playing style. The teacher
doesnt necessarily lead the children but moves them in a direction that interests the child. Become a
partner in learning and encourage children to find their own answers instead of providing the answers
for them. By being a partner, teachers learn with the children and share in their experiences. (Edwards
& Springate, 2012) Early childhood professionals support learning by providing a wonderful
environment filled with interesting materials, adequate time to explore, play and interact. Within our
readings I remember the to nurture is to nourish concept, in which nurturing a child combines all the
aspects of development-social, emotional, cognitive and physical. Teachers also need to listen closely to
the students. Listening helps teachers determine a childs needs and aids in furthering the childs
development. Lastly, teachers need to be prepared to communicate with the parents, children, staff and
the general public.
Teachers can accommodate the student who is naturally at a disadvantage in several ways. It is
very difficult for a child with ADHD to sit still during school. Teachers can work on various learning tactics
to help hold the students attention during class. Create a list of goals with the child and write them
down and also talk with the child on how these goals can be reached. For children with auditory
Processing Disorder (APD), teachers can do their best to avoid background noise. They can also be sure
to make eye contact with the child when talking to them and speak with simple sentences. Students
with Autism need the teachers to be able to recognize and understand the trigger points that cause
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disruptive behavior. This will aid the child with becoming less frustrated and with giving him a different
way to communicate. Another special needs example is Dyscalculia. Teachers can expose the child to
math every day so they can understand math is a frequent part of life. Give the child chores involving
math such as counting papers for the class.
I am not currently teaching in an early childhood education class. But my ideas for a future
classroom include: lighting, decorations, resources, sensory variables, space configuration and class size.
I would ask that the fluorescent lights be changed to the full-spectrum tubes like at my current
employment. The electrician my work uses stresses using these full-spectrum tubes not only improves
visual performance but it decreases fatigue. Classroom decorations would include all the wonderful
colorful works created by the students themselves. Resources that I would hope to make useful include:
books, magazines, computers, a telephone, digital cameras, audio and video tapes, dvds, tons and tons
of odds and ends of materials that can be used to make various projects and a good-sized refrigerator to
stock lots of healthy foods and drinks. A temperature controlled classroom would be a great
improvement. I noticed that in most schools, keeping a classroom to the cooler side helps keep an edge
on students creative energies and helps to encourage movement and activity. A classroom that is too
warm has a tendency to create a sense of stuffiness and confinement. Nice, high ceilings and painting
the walls a pale or light-green color gives the room a sense of openness. I would have any machines and
cabinets put on wheels so they can be moved around. A small class size of 20 students or less would give
me more time to focus my teaching skills on the students.
In another teaching course I completed, I was to go into a classroom and evaluate and
document everything and everyone that I observed. I learned the most effective learning takes place
when children have a hands-on learning experience. This I believe to be true throughout all of our lives
for every one of us. When children study any learning content, they learn best and retain knowledge
longer if they do an art activity to reinforce their learning. This information has been recognized and
used by good teachers since the time of Confucius, when he said: I hear and I forget. I see and I
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remember. I do and I understand. (A. Reyner, 2012).
























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Works Cited Page
C. Edwards and K. Springate. 2012.
[Link].
A. Reyner, MA. 2012. How Art Impacts
Learning.
Creativity& Creative Thinking. 1997-2011.
Infinite Innovations Ltd.