The Creative Classroom with John Spencer

About a decade ago, I had a group of students who had a great concept. They would make a paper mural. It would be shaped like the U.S.-Mexico border and it would have a picture of the Statue of Liberty in the middle with a... The post What Happens When Students Don’t Finish Projects? (Hint: It’s Not As Bad As It Seems) appeared first on John Spencer.

A few years ago, my daughter entered kindergarten. She came in knowing letters but that was about it. By the end of the year, she could put together entire words. She viewed language as a playground and reading as a chance to explore a whole... The post Eight Ways to Appreciate Teachers appeared first on John Spencer.

This article is part of a larger series on design thinking. Students begin with Look, Listen, and Learn, which is all about awareness and empathy. They move into Ask Tons of Questions, an inquiry phase. This leads to research in the Understanding  the Process or... The post The Power of a Launch (Why Students Should Share Their Work) appeared first on John Spencer.

It’s easy to pit creativity and consumption against each other. However, critical consuming is vital for creative work. When you engage in critical consuming, you become more inspired and ultimately, you will create better content. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but... The post The Surprising Truth Behind Creating and Consuming appeared first on John Spencer.

Last week, I shared why student podcasting is a great idea. Podcasting is a powerful way for students to share their voice with the world. Along the way, they learn to communicate, engage in critical thinking, and go through the design process as they ultimately... The post Podcasting Can Work in Any Subject appeared first on John Spencer.

I just learned that New York City doesn’t actually have alleys. Okay, they have a few private alleys. However, after listening to the latest 99% Invisible podcast, I learned that the idea of alleys throughout NYC is a bit of a myth. Does this matter? Probably... The post 5 Reasons to Pilot Student Podcasting Projects appeared first on John Spencer.

A few days ago, my son said something that surprised me. He said, “Dad, we have the best cafeteria lady at our school.” And I said,  “Wait, what?” But then he went on to describe how this woman chose to memorize every students’ name in... The post Seven Strategies for Building Empathy in Students appeared first on John Spencer.

I wasn’t always a dog lover. I used to be a dog-liker and most of the time a dog-tolerator. I never understood why people would get bumper stickers with their favorite dog breed and I cringed a little when I heard the phrase “he’s part... The post What Our Rescue Dog Taught Me About Life, Learning, and Creativity appeared first on John Spencer.

A few years ago, my son opened a Google Document and started typing. I asked him about it and his eyes lit up as he described the shared story he was writing with classmates. This was the first day of summer break but he was... The post 10 Teacher-Tested Strategies to Engage Reluctant Writers appeared first on John Spencer.

About a year ago, I watched La La Land for the first time. It was as enchanting and mesmerizing as people had told me. And it struck a chord, in terms of the deeply human longing to chase your dreams, captured in the lines: Here’s to... The post 4 Surprising Truths About the Creative Journey appeared first on John Spencer.

I’ve been at the college level for a little over three years and every time I visit one of my college students in the midst of their practicum, I am struck by how fast time moves in a classroom. It’s easy as a professor to... The post Making Time for Project-Based Learning appeared first on John Spencer.

Recently, I asked my students (pre-service teachers who are currently in their practicum) about the ultimate goal of education. Some described the need for raising democratic citizens who will think critically about the world. A larger group described the need for preparing students for the global... The post Taking Choice Menus to the Next Level for Student Ownership appeared first on John Spencer.

Earlier this week, my friend George Couros wrote a wonderful post about seeing the value in balance and it had me thinking about the role of balance in creativity and teaching.  Years ago, my friend Wayne gave me some great advice about balance and self-care. Although this was about the non-profit world, I think it […] The post Why Balance Is Critical for Creative Work appeared first on John Spencer.

I’m sitting in front of the computer blinking, ready to press the “submit” button; knowing that if I missed this problem, the progress bar will drop down another 25% and I’ll spend half an hour trying to get back up to where I was. At this point, I have spent well over ninety minutes on […] The post Why Teachers Should Experience Productive Struggle appeared first on John Spencer.

I used to believe that creativity began in the mind. Ideas popped in and people responded externally by making things. I would get frustrated when students came into class having only used technology to consume rather than create. I would beg them to take risks creatively. Make something different. Be bold. Branch out even if […] The post Seven Stages in Moving from Consuming to Creating appeared first on John Spencer.