Let’s create…pink flamingos and metal figurines

I feel that students at the high school level still have plenty of ambition to create unique ideas… yes definitely unique. While they can brainstorm a million ideas I sometimes feel that they are lacking the convergent thinking, taking those ideas and making the best out of them. I’m all for working with the FFA officers on the next creative idea that they come up with, but often times they lack a way in which to create the best result – and let’s face it I’m receptive to the idea, but I don’t always have the needed nudging remedies to create this made up masterpiece. I do however feel that once they have carried through on an idea they easily figure out ways in which they would do it different for the second time around. I suppose a little trial and error is needed with some of their ideas.

Agricultural Fabrications class (students work on primarily metal fabrication projects of their own) always provides students with tremendous opportunities to be creative and to work on their own, teacher supervised (sometimes parent demanded), projects. I have had some unusual and yet creative ideas that have come out of this class. The one observation that I noticed most is that there are always three groups of students; those that can come up with a new idea every day, those that help the ‘creative brain’ with ideas on how to make the idea become reality, and those who can do both or tend to switch ‘hats’ from day to day. This group always impresses me with their ability to work together – which is almost certainly needed – to create projects throughout the year. The creator of ideas is always looking for those who can help him make this vision a reality. I see creativity come up to light in my other agriculture and science classes as well and try to think back to this class and ways that I could help foster the ideas of creativity.

I would say creativity is certainly still alive and well at my school and it certainly provides for good observation.