It's NOT a Box!!!

In the fall, I somewhat reluctantly began my gifted endorsement class. I must admit, I was not too thrilled about it. I have been teaching 4 years and have never really had a "normal" year. I have been displaced, gotten my Master's degree, taken on leadership, bought my first house, had a child, and now taking classes to receive my gifted endorsement. I have never had a year of just being a teacher with no other obligation. I took the gifted endorsement class to make myself more marketable. I wanted to ensure I would not be displaced or that if I was, I would be a candidate who stuck out in the crowd.

However, today was our last class meeting and I must admit that I was sad to see it end. It was one of the most amazing classes!!! I learned so much and it has been beneficial not only for my gifted students, but ALL of my students. Truly. I know after a long day at work the last thing anyone wants to do is miss out on time with their family and take a class, but I am so glad I took it and I would recommend it to everyone!

There are many topics I could talk about from the gifted class. I really developed a passion for it. But the one thing that really stuck with me was our discussions on creativity. I had always believed that if you were creative, you were artistic. I never felt it was something you could be taught. You either had the talent or you didn't. This class opened my eyes to the fact that you can learn to be creative.

These books are amazing for teaching your students how to be creative. If you have never read them...YOU MUST!!! TRULY! You will not be sorry. I read the book, Not A Box, to my students and then gave them a piece of paper with a box drawn on it. The students then create a picture that incorporates the box and create a creative title or story to match their picture. I forgot to take pictures of my students Not A Box drawings, but I will tomorrow and post them on here. Here is a picture of the one I made in my gifted class.

Now, you may be wondering...when on Earth am I ever going to find the time to teach my kids to be creative? It is not a skill they need to know to pass the test. Well, you are correct in that it is not a standard they are required to learn; however, it opens their mind up to thinking "outside the box." It develops their critical thinking skills. I incorporate it through morning work. Every Friday I give my students a doodle. It can be a box, a line, a squiggly, etc. Seriously, just doodle on a piece of paper. Then the students complete the drawing. As they continue to do it, you will notice their pictures get more and more creative. Their stories get more and more in depth. It is an amazing transformation. A common example of this skill is one you may have seen on Pinterest (see below)...

Try this skill out. See how your class responds and see how those that are gifted perform on the creativity test. I hope you find it as beneficial as I did.