This document discusses promoting creativity in the classroom. It defines creativity as using imagination or original ideas, especially in artistic works. Creativity is important for innovation and is not limited to artistic fields. Some oppose promoting creativity, claiming it causes disruptive behaviors like excessive talking, but these behaviors are often misdiagnosed ADHD. Relaxation activities like meditation can channel creativity and reduce disruptive behaviors. The document provides examples of activities to promote creativity and discusses how creativity benefits physical, social, cognitive, and emotional development.

1. Promoting Creativity In the
Classroom
Chelsea Bibeau
Educational Psychology

2. What is Creativity?
“The use of the imagination or original ideas,
especially in the production of an artistic work.” –
Merriam Webster Dictionary
“The tendency to generate or recognize ideas,
alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in
solving problems, communicating with others, an
entertaining ourselves and others.” – California State
University.

3. What is Creativity?
Creativity is not reserved for art students and
musicians.
Successful innovations such as Post-It notes, the dog
collar, and even Dayquil are all started off with as a
creative idea.

4. “Everything that could be invented has been
invented”.
Charles Duell, the U.S. patent commissioner of 1899

5. Oppositions
 Many believe that they have no time to bother promoting creativity
 They say that it promotes “disruptive behavior” such as arguing, excessive
questions, and excessive talking.
 Students with these behaviors are often with misdiagnosed ADHD.

6. So creativity causes ADHD in stude

7. These are often misdiagnosis
There are relaxing activities that can be incorporated
into the everyday classroom in order to help these
students, while also being beneficial to those who do
not display this type of behavior.

8. Relaxation Activities
 Meditation
 Deep breathing exercises
 Listening to relaxing music
 Yoga

9. These activities not only help relax the minds of the students
often misdiagnosed with ADHD, but act as a creative channel
that allows the creativity to replace the disruptive behavior
and/or continue to grow.

10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nASvIgSOCxw
Creativity in the classroom (in 5 minutes or less!) | Catherine Thimmesh | TED
TALKS

11. Activities to Help Promote Creativity
“Change this Object”
“2D-3D”
“Creative Seating”
“Other Than Paper”

12. Your Turn!: Change this Object
You will count off by ABC’s, and each letter will have their own object
that they will have to change into something entirely different.
A. A Shoe
B. A Quarter
C. A Shoelace
Afterwards, we will quickly share our new objects!

13. How Creativity Effects Development
Physical
Social
Cognitive
Emotional

14. Physical Development
 Activities that involve physical activity
 Muscle development
 Exercise
 Will attribute physical activity to fun, which can help promote
a healthy lifestyle.

15. Social Development
 Activities in which students have to share, collaborate and
clean up together.
 Teaches the importance of collaboration and teamwork.
 Helps develop necessary social skills.

16. Cognitive Development
 Students learn shapes and colors through artistic activities.
 Students learn about the outdoors through playtime outside,
where they notice the different types of trees, plants, animals
and insects.
 By having them paint or draw a tree, plant or organism they
observe, you are helping them develop key observational
skills.

17. Emotional Development
 If something is going on in a child’s life, and they are too
afraid to talk about it, then they may open up through a
drawing.
 Can also give insight to any mental disorders or abnormalities
a child may have or be developing.
 If you value a child’s work of art, you re valuing the child
therefore helping them create a positive self image.

18. References
 CSU (n.d.).What is Creativity? Calidrnia State University, Northridge. Retrieved from
http://www.csun.edu/~vcpsy00h/creativity/define.htm.

 Extension Staff (2013). Creative Art Helps Children Develop across Many Domains. Extension, America’s Learning
Based Network.. Retrieved from http://www.extension.org/pages/25680/creative-art-helps-children-develop-
across-many-domains#top/.

 Henion, A & Elder, T (2010). Nearly One-Million Children Potentially Misdiagnosed With ADHD. Michigan State
University Today. Retrieved from http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2010/nearly-1-million-children-potentially-
misdiagnosed-with-adhd/
 Hogan, M (2012). Cultivating Creativity in the Classroom. Psychology Today. Retrieved from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-one-lifespan/201209/cultivating-creativity-in-the-classroom

 Thimmesh, C (2014). Creativity in the classroom (in 5 minutes or less!). TED TALKS. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nASvIgSOCxw