10 Creativity Tips for Teachers:
An Inspired Teacher is an Inspiring Teacher

by Shelley Berc

1. Believe in your moments of inspiration. Follow where they lead.

2. Carry a notebook and pencil everywhere you go. We often have innovative ideas but we can forget them if they aren’t on paper or smart phone.

3. Don’t be ashamed or discouraged when your creative idea doesn’t pan out. You will have ones that do succeed if you keep trying. In the words of Samuel Beckett: “Fail, Fail Again, Then Fail Better.” That is the best way to creative success.

4. Take 10 minutes every day to write without thinking. Let your hand outrun your brain. Let your unconscious do all the work. Whatever words come to mind, scribble them down. After awhile, you’ll see distinct patterns and themes emerge in your writing. You’ll be surprised at how much you have to say and how well you can say it.

5. Creativity is a muscle: use it or lose it.

6. Don’t let your inner-judge criticize you too much, especially at the start of a project. It can easily kill your creative impulses.

7. Once a day, do something totally out of character. Surprise yourself; it will ignite your imagination. When we ‘what if’ ourselves, we start to believe we can achieve our dreams. That is the first step to making them come true.

8. Slow down enough to notice where you are. Learn your environment by heart.

9. Collaborate creatively with like minded friends and write a journal together, make a quilt, create a new playspace for kids, design a group garden, choreograph and execute a dance piece, start a reader’s theatre, do collage. Whatever it is, do it together–you’ll be amazed at how much you can inspire each other.

10. Always remember that creativity is a process, not a product. A process that is a way of life!