Everyone knows that creativity is a process of activity during which new spiritual or material values ​​are created. It is also often called special thinking, due to which a person can go beyond the limits of traditional life. And in general, creativity is also a process of investing by a person in what he does, his own abilities and considerations. In general, the term can be interpreted in different ways. But we want to pay attention to such a concept as pedagogical creativity.
General Provisions
What is the task of modern education? In the mastery of teachers by the methodology of creative transformation of the world. Why is this so important? Because creativity in this context involves the discovery of new knowledge, objects, problems, as well as ways to solve them. However, this is not all that can be said on this topic.
Professional pedagogical activity is a process of constant creativity. But there is a specificity. The creativity of the teacher does not have the goal of creating something original, fundamentally new, scaledly valuable. It is aimed at something more important and serious - the development of personality. Of course, a good teacher (especially if he is an innovator) develops his own pedagogical system. However, it is not the goal of his work, but only a way to achieve the best results in this activity.
Specificity
Pedagogical creativity is impossible if a person does not have social and teaching experience (and education), as well as a predisposition to this activity. However, about everything - in order.
Special training is required. Because only an erudite teacher with non-standard thinking and expanded frameworks can find original, “fresh” ways to solve the problem, which is most often associated with student learning.
What is the difficulty? The fact that the teacher in the course of his work constantly solves a huge number of problems - both typical and non-standard. And not always under the same circumstances. And dealing with their solution, the teacher (like any other researcher) builds his activities in accordance with the provisions of the heuristic search. That is, it analyzes the situation, makes assumptions about the result, taking into account the initial data, estimates the potential of the means available to achieve the goal, and formulates the tasks. This is not an easy job, requiring a creative approach and certain skills.
What forms a usefulness?
Teaching has both quantitative and qualitative characteristics. Pedagogical creativity, pedagogical experience and skills are impressive only if the specialist himself treats his activities accordingly - with interest, responsibility, inspiration and enthusiasm. These are the most important conditions!
Pedagogical innovation, productive training, the achievement of certain successes in all activities as a whole - all this and much more is possible if there are 5 generally accepted aspects.
The first is the presence of a creative task that interests the teacher himself. The second is social significance, influencing the development of personality. Thirdly, the presence of social and material prerequisites (in other words, conditions) necessary for creativity. Fourth - the novelty and originality of the process or the expected result. And fifth - the presence of subjective prerequisites for the implementation of creativity. This refers to the teacher’s skills, his knowledge, motivation, dedication, desire to work with the audience.
Main difficulty
Professional pedagogical activity is beyond the power of every person. Why? Because it involves constant interaction with other people. With those who are much younger (as a rule) and require knowledge. With people to be trained, share your skills and mental resources. With people who do not always want this. Here we need a special, individual approach to each student. Everyone needs to be interested. Or at least the majority.
This is where pedagogical creativity fully manifests itself. The teacher puts himself in the place of the students, asks himself countless questions. What might be interesting to them? How and with what to entice them? What method to resort to to encourage students to master the material? How to convey the importance of the subject to them? And so - before each lesson.
First, the teacher forms his plan arising from the answers to all of the listed and unmentioned questions (which are even greater). Then he studies it, transforms it into an idea. Then he “searches” for methods by which the realization of the plan will be real. By the way, it is during these processes that a person gains experience in creativity. Of course, from the outside, this may seem like making a lesson plan. But all the teachers (or at least the majority) write it. But only to one they go to classes with pleasure, experiencing an interest in the subject and knowledge, and to others - no.
Engagement with the audience
His pedagogical work implies in the first place. The success of the teacher and the students will depend on the contact that the teacher will establish and the recognition as a specialist, as well as the quality of the knowledge received by schoolchildren / students.
Which teacher is more interesting to attend? The one who interacts with the audience, looks into the eyes of everyone, and tries to make the lesson as similar as possible to a productive colloquium? Or to the classes of a “lecturer” who sits at a table and just reads material from a notebook? Of course, everyone will choose the first option. And this case is a vivid manifestation of creativity. Because getting in touch with the audience is an art.
But here you can not do without creativity. The formation of which is often facilitated by a certain organization of the educational process. It is mandatory, because the purpose of the classes is to transfer knowledge and skills to schoolchildren. And here is what this organization includes:
- Problematic training.
- Establishing interdisciplinary relationships.
- The upbringing of a positive and creative attitude of students in the study of the subject.
- The ability to determine the main thing and comprehend the past.
- The development of students' abilities and skills related to synthesis, analysis, classification and generalization.
- Ability to evaluate practical situations.
And these are just the main points that pedagogical work implies. Some of them are worth noting with special attention.
Problem learning
This is a very interesting methodology, implying an active interaction of the teacher with students on the basis of the problem-presented content of the training. What is its essence?
So, the teacher poses a problem-solving task for schoolchildren / students (naturally, after a collective study of the material). So he creates a problem situation for them. Pupils need to analyze it, realize and accept the essence, and then proceed to resolve the problem. During this process, they will just apply the skills and information obtained during the classes. Such practical lessons teach schoolchildren and students to think and learn knowledge creatively.
By the way, an alternative to this methodology is heuristic training. It originated in the time of Ancient Greece - it was practiced by Socrates himself! For a long time, the method was based on trial and error. However, making them, it was possible to come to the truth.
And in this case, the foundations of pedagogical creativity are also manifested. What should students do? Just getting involved in the process and applying the knowledge given by the teacher is not so difficult. And the teacher needs to design the very educational-problematic situation, it is clear to formulate it, and even give it a special character in order to interest the audience.
Torrens Provisions
They cannot be noted by attention, telling about creativity in pedagogical activity. Alice Paul Torrens was a well-known American psychologist who developed the basic principles for her. And these provisions on pedagogical creativity are very revealing. Here is what exactly they include:
- The recognition and application of opportunities that were previously not recognized or not used.
- Respect and acceptance of the student’s desire to work independently.
- The ability not to interfere with the creative process of schoolchildren / students.
- The ability to provide students with freedom of choice in the achievement of goals and the application of their skills and forces.
- Appropriate application of an individual curriculum in relation to students with special abilities.
- Creation of conditions necessary to achieve certain goals.
- Moderate encouragement and praise.
- Exclusion of any pressure on students.
- Respect for everyone.
- The manifestation and greeting of enthusiasm.
- Creating conditions for the interaction of “strong” students with less successful ones.
- Providing feasible authoritative assistance to students - especially students / schoolchildren with an opinion and point of view that is different from others.
All of the above is of great importance. Because the concept of pedagogical creativity includes not only a special approach to teaching, but also the education of students, and their development. Not only all together - but also individually. Indeed, in essence, creativity in pedagogy is manifested through the development of students' unique abilities.
Conditions for Teacher Development
Well, as mentioned earlier, the activities of educators are complex, as is their work. Although he undoubtedly bears fruit - if the teacher approaches his tasks in the way described above.
But just so that productivity does not fall, and the specialist also pleased with the results, special conditions for the development of pedagogical creativity are needed. This includes many aspects - both moral and material. The latter, of course, include incentives, bonuses worthy of expended labor, time and labor salary. In a word - a manifestation of gratitude and respect. In our time, it matters.
But other conditions are important. These include contraction, the so-called creativity of creativity. Also, the interconnectedness of one teacher with others. It is also important that you have the time needed to prepare. Delayed results also apply. This is all aimed at stimulating the teacher to carry out creative activities.
By the way, public speaking and the constant correlation of generally accepted pedagogical techniques with non-standard situations often contribute to its development. But this is necessary for those teachers who are not used to being creative.
Levels
They also need to be noted for attention. The levels of pedagogical creativity have a place to be, and it is customary to single out five main ones.
The first is called information-reproducing. It implies the application in solving professional tasks of the experience gained and adopted from others by a teacher in the course of his activities.
The second level is called adaptive-prognostic. It consists in the teacher’s ability to transform the data and information known to him, to choose methods, methods, methods of interaction with schoolchildren / students, and to take into account their specific personal characteristics.
The third level is known as rationalization. The teacher, corresponding to him, shows his unique experience, the ability to solve non-standard problems, to seek optimal solutions. And in his activity a certain originality and individuality are clearly observed.
The fourth level is called research. It lies in the ability of the teacher to identify the conceptual basis of personal search and develop a system of activities, based on the study of its results.
And finally, the fifth level. Known as creative and prognostic. Teachers corresponding to him are able to put forward super tasks and solve them with justified, often actually developed methods. These are teachers of the highest category who really can change and transform the education system.
Competitions for educators
I would also like to say a few words about them in the end. Because many existing contests for educators today are precisely of a creative nature. Take, for example, “New Ideas” and “Methodological System of an Effective Teacher”. These competitions are aimed at introducing new, personally developing educational technologies, as well as presenting and popularizing the experience of educators. There is also a motivation for teachers to use innovation in the learning process.
And there is a competition, which is called - "Pedagogy of creativity." Its purpose is, in addition to all of the above, also to stimulate innovation. And he aims, among other things, to overcome the stereotypes enshrined in relation to this professional activity.
By the way, such contests also contribute to creative development and professional growth. And the participation of teachers only once again emphasizes their dedication and interest.