CHANGING THE CULTURE: How to develop habits of creative thinking!

I was reading this article by Professor Bill Lucas... "If schools are to make creativity normal, then they need to think about the culture they seek to create" says Professor Lucas "Ultimately, human creativity is about developing habits of creative thinking. Our five-dimensional model for creativity in schools, developed with the OECD, is widely used across the world from Australia to Chile, Norway to Thailand, the Netherlands to England. In Wales, more than 500 schools, with the Arts Council of Wales, the Welsh government and Creativity, Culture and Education, use our five habits model to explore ways of embedding creativity in schools."

"If schools are to make creativity normal, then they need to think about the culture they seek to create. From our research, 10 key aspects of the classroom and staffroom ecology keep recurring:

1. Learning is almost always framed by engaging questions which have no one right answer. 
2. There is space for activities that are curious, authentic, extended in length, sometimes beyond school, collaborative and reflective. 
3. There is the opportunity for play and experimentation. 
4. There is opportunity for generative thought, where ideas are greeted openly. 
5. There is opportunity for critical reflection in a supportive environment. 
6. There is respect for difference and the creativity of others. 
7. Creative processes are visible and valued. 
8. Students are actively engaged, as co-designers. 
9. A range of assessment practices within teaching are integrated. 
10. Space is left for the unexpected. 

Later this year, the OECD will launch an app with materials for teaching and assessing creativity in schools. The Durham Commission will make recommendations for ways in which school leaders and teachers can be supported in England. Now is the time to get determined and creative about giving all children the chance to develop their creativity at school."

Professor Bill Lucas is director of the Centre for Real-World Learning at the University of Winchester and co-chair of the strategic advisory group for the Programme for International Student Assessment's 2021 test of creative thinking.