What is “Creative Learning?”
"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." - Maya Angelou
Why Creative Learning Matters
What does it mean to learn creatively? In a world where academic success is often measured by rigid standards and high-stakes testing, it can be easy to overlook the importance of imagination, problem-solving, and agency. But creative learning is essential, not just for student growth, but for building more thoughtful, resilient, and connected communities.
Learning creatively means students are able to think and create independently. Learning creatively means students are given agency, a sense of accomplishment, space and time to think critically, and build resiliency. In spaces where creative thinking is taught and encouraged, students learn how to overcome barriers and obstacles while still producing and creating, therefore building their self efficacy.
Creativity Builds Community
While this may seem like a focus on the individual, creative learning actually helps build community. In classrooms that foster creativity, students engage in dialogue through sharing ideas, testing theories, and hearing diverse perspectives. Independent work often becomes communal through sharing, reflection, and feedback.What students create independently is often shared with others, helping students to be reflective of how their contributions and actions impact a larger audience. In building this type of community, this can help students develop positive associations with exploring the contributions and perspectives of others from diverse backgrounds.
Creative Thinkers Are Future-Ready
People who are creative thinkers are often innovators and problem solvers, something that is needed in every field. More so, in a time where our world is seemingly becoming more polarized, people who embody the skills of creative thinkers will thrive. Creative thinkers are able to engage in dialogue with people who hold diverse perspectives, while still maintaining a sense of agency. Creative thinkers see themselves as individuals, and as part of something larger. They connect the dots between people, ideas, and communities. They see themselves in the grand scheme of things, and realize that what an individual creates does impact others.
How This Looks in the Classroom
Daily Writing Journals
An easy example to implement is a daily writing exercise. No matter the age or grade, there are some students who struggle with completing a simple writing prompt. Many times it is not due to a language barrier or skill gap, but the ability to complete a project that requires creative thinking on their own. For some students, the fear isn’t of getting the answer wrong—it’s the fear of freedom itself. The blank page can be intimidating when they’re used to structured tasks.
When I introduced this with my 7th graders, we used simple steps:
Open journals.
Display and read the writing prompt aloud.
Set a timer for 10 minutes.
Give students quiet space to write—no pressure, no grading, no correction.
At first some students struggled to write, but eventually grew used to the routine and felt comfortable knowing that this was a practice meant to increase their writing comfort and practice. The ability to simply write and respond to a prompt may be an exercise that takes time to build for some students. My only expectation was that they try. If 10 mins seems like too much to start with, try 5 mins and adjust as needed over the year. At the end of the year, students loved looking back at their prompts and reflecting on how much they had grown as a writer. 10 mins seemed like not enough time. (Check my daily writing prompts here, for every grade level)
Choice Boards
Another highly effective strategy is using choice boards. Rather than a traditional test or essay, students choose an option from the board to demonstrate their understanding. Choice boards are highly engaging and build autonomy by giving students choice in how they can show their learning.
For example, after reading a novel, students might choose to:
Create a movie poster that shows understanding of the plot
Write a journal entry from a character’s perspective
Record a podcast discussing key themes
These tasks engage students in deeper thinking, while also giving them autonomy in how they express themselves. You can find a choice board I use here.
Choice boards are not just fun—they support differentiated instruction, build ownership of learning, and meet students where they are.
Creativity Isn’t a Supplement—It’s a Mindset
Embracing creativity in your classroom isn’t just about changing your worksheets, or adding some glitter and glue, it’s about giving students the space to think reflect, connect, and grow. It means intentionally designing spaces where students can think critically, engage with complexity, and explore multiple ways of expressing their understanding.
Creative classrooms allow students to take intellectual risks, try new ideas, and collaborate meaningfully with others. In doing so, they not only learn content—they learn how to learn.
Final Thoughts
Creativity is not an extra. It is essential.
When we make space for creative learning, we invite students to bring their full selves into the classroom. We foster environments where they are not just consumers of knowledge but creators of it.
What’s one small shift you can make this week to encourage creative thinking in your classroom?
Sometimes, all it takes is ten quiet minutes and a blank page.
