Going with the Flow: Lessons in Flexibility in the Classroom | Anjala Krishen

TL;DR

In this presentation, Angela Christian, a professor and director of MBA programs at the University of Nevada, discusses the importance of creativity, motivation, and opposition in education, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transcript

hi everybody i'll do a quick quick brief introduction of myself my name is angela christian i am a professor at unlv yeah university of nevada las vegas and also the director of the mba programs uh and um that's about it i was at the conference last year really like course hero so i'm here today to talk about lessons on flexibility in the classroom... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧑‍🎓 The education system often hinders student creativity by not prioritizing and integrating it into the classroom.
• 🖐️ Creativity and motivation are closely linked, with transformational leadership playing a role in enhancing both.
• 🤔 Thinking outside of the box and reframing success and failure can foster creativity and encourage a growth mindset.
• 🤗 Flexibility, open communication, and a positive learning environment are essential for promoting creativity, motivation, and opposition in the classroom.
• 🧑‍🎓 Incorporating active and social learning experiences can enhance student creativity and engagement.
• 🥺 Giving students opportunities to define and explore their own creativity can lead to higher levels of intrinsic motivation.
• ❓ Embracing mistakes and learning from them can foster a growth mindset and promote creativity.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why is creativity often hindered in the education system?

Research suggests that creativity is not prioritized and integrated into the classroom, leading to a decrease in student creativity. Many educators believe that creativity should be the role of other educators, rather than their own responsibility.

Q: How can transformational leadership enhance motivation and creativity?

Transformational leadership enables cognitive diversity in teams, which ultimately increases intrinsic motivation. This leadership style promotes a supportive and empowering environment that encourages creativity and collaboration.

Q: How can opposition be reframed in terms of success and failure?

Instead of dichotomizing success and failure, framing success as trying and failure as not trying can shift the focus from outcomes to effort. This perspective encourages a growth mindset and allows for learning from mistakes.

Q: How can educators foster creativity, motivation, and opposition in the classroom?

Educators can infuse open-ended conversation starters and questions into their teaching, provide opportunities for active and social learning, encourage students to define creativity for themselves, and create a positive and flexible learning environment.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Creativity is often stifled in the education system, leading to a gap between students' creative potential and their actual output.

• Motivation is intrinsically tied to creativity, with transformational leadership playing a crucial role in enhancing both.

• Opposition, or thinking outside of the box, can be framed in terms of success and failure, with an emphasis on trying rather than only focusing on outcomes.