The Imagination Nazi Strikes

Many fourth graders are not so creative. I can think of several reasons for this: their developmental stage, concrete operational, which makes them more logical than abstract; laziness or learned helplessness (some want to be told what to do and how to do it); too much time spent filling in TAKS-practice multiple-choice bubbles; and fear of doing it "wrong," when the only real wrong is refusal to try.

Open-ended assignments, in which students have free choice of topic or format, are often met with worried looks or blank stares from several students, followed by a request to go to the bathroom, or questions that begin, "Is it O.K. if we ...?" -- to which I respond, sometimes crossly:

"Quit asking questions! Just use your brain to figure it out! That's why it's called a free write -- you are FREE to choose! ... What? NO, you may not go get a drink. And don't look so miserable! No one ever died from writing. ... Didn't you just go to the bathroom after lunch? No. Sit down."

My barking out corrections or commands probably whooshes any remaining creativity out of the room. It's like unleashing a fire extinguisher on a Christmas candle. I felt this happen in my classroom last Friday:

Determined that my students would stretch their creative muscles, I walked them through a guided imagery exercise in which they took a trip in their minds. A lot of students loved it and were sparked to create long stories or essays, or detailed pictures. Some students, however, could not handle the freedom of even the first step: "Find a place in the room where you will be comfortable sitting or lying with your eyes closed for about 10 minutes." Really. Some took five minutes finding the right spot. One boy, trying to be funny, even put his head in the trash can and, when questioned, told me that was where he was most comfortable. I became annoyed, then angry, with the few students who wouldn't take the assignment seriously. No doubt, my irritation affected the tone of the class -- and thus the effectiveness of this exercise -- for at least one group of students.

Still, I will continue to plan regular creativity stretches. I think it was good for my students. But next time, they will stay in their seats. And no matter how annoyed I become, I will not let myself sound like a Rottweiler.