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Needed: Teachers Who Develop Creativity andEnjoyment in Learning

By Sally M. Reis, Cordinator Confratute 99

As I have reflected on this new millennium, I find myself remembering creative teachers

who made a difference in my life and thinking about the teachers we need for all childrenin the coming years. Finding teachers who have a passion for their content and a love of

learning is a challenge, and current trends in education have made it even more difficult.

Some teachers have become so worried about the content for state assessments or

addressing standards that, in their zeal to have their students improve their scores, drainthe enjoyment right out of the learning process. While it is understandable that we feel

the need to do this, we must also understand that these experiences can have a profound

influence on a childs ability to reach his or her full potential. Simply put, if learning isnt

(at least sometimes) enjoyable and exciting, this may not happen. This type of learningcan occur in all different situations. However, we must consider the compelling use of

students interests and creative talents, and the opportunities to pursue independent, self-directed learning in our attempts to create enjoyable learning environments.

High-achieving children need teachers who value advanced content and creative thought.

But unfortunately, the focus on state testing, standardized learning, and core masteryskills is drumming creativity out of our schools. This is a real problem because the

absence of creative opportunities can turn bright children into underachievers. They

become turned off to textbook learning that they find too easy and boring. Unfortunately,one strategy used to address underachievers is to give them harder and more content.

When this strategy does not spark renewed interest in learning. Some parents enroll them

in out-of-school programs that again focus on content.

How do we create a love for learning? Is it by placing some of our students in

mentorships with teachers who can excite them about content and address their individual

styles and interests. What about giving our kids opportunities such as Space Camp,Project Wild, or other hands-on science programs where they experience the thrill of

high-level science? Can we encourage students who are good writers to attend writing

workshops where they develop their talents in writing and submit their best work forpublication? The best teachers, tutors, and instructors are those who help children

discover, nurture, and develop their own interests and talents. These kinds of

opportunities plant seeds for adult creative productivity.

At Confratute, we hope to provide experiences that help teachers think about current

practices and reflect on how we can begin to offer students creative opportunities indifferent ways that fundamentally change the learning modes they encounter in their

regular school experiences. We try to provide opportunities for educators to come

together to share, learn, and develop creative, enriching opportunities for the pursuit of

excellence.

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The teachers we need in the future care about and nurture the unique interests and talents

of children. They work with individual learning styles and endeavor to spark a love in the

process of life-long learning. Working with parents, they try to develop an enrichmentapproach to learning, providing exposure to libraries, museums, experiments, the web

and good old-fashioned books. We hope we can provide training for teachers who want

to encourage kids to do creative projects, and challenge individual students to pursuepersonal interests. These teachers know how to create a balance between enjoyment and

hard work, and in so doing, they create joy in learning, a gift that continues throughout

life. May our own children find these teachers, and may Confratute continue to offeropportunities for us to help more teachers become talent developers of all children.

Komen Penceramah:

Artikel ini ditulis untuk peserta-peserta Confratute 99. Walaupun begitu ia saya dapati

amat relevan dengan mana-mana sistem pendidikan khususnya kepada guru-guru yang

mahu menjadi guru-guru yang berkesan. Senario yang digambarkan oleh penulis juga

berlaku dalam sistem pendidikan kita. Sejauh mana usaha kita untuk mengatasi situasiini atau adakah kita selesa dengan status-quo yang ada.

Shahein Mahmud