Pedagogical Creativity: Concept and Fundamentals

Everyone knows that creativity is a process of activity, during which new spiritual or material values are created. Still so often called special thinking, due to which a person can go beyond the limits of traditional life. And in general, creativity is also the process of investing a person in what he does, his own capabilities and considerations. In general, it is possible to explain this term in different ways. But we want to pay attention to such a concept as pedagogical creativity.

General Provisions

What is the task of modern education? In the mastery of teachers methodology of creative transformation of the world. Why is it so important? Because creativity in this context implies the discovery of new knowledge, objects, problems, as well as ways to solve them. However, this is not all that can be said on this topic.

Professional pedagogical activity is a process of constant creativity. But here there is a specificity. Creativity teacher has no purpose to create something original, fundamentally new, large-scale valuable. It is aimed at something more important and serious - the development of personality. Of course, a good teacher (especially if he is an innovator) develops his own pedagogical system. However, it is not the purpose of his work, but only a means of achieving the best results in this activity.

Specificity

Pedagogical creativity is impossible if a person has no social and teaching experience (and education), as well as a predisposition to this activity. However, everything is in order.

Special training is compulsory. Because only an erudite teacher with an unconventional thinking and an extended framework can find original, "fresh" ways to solve the problem, which is most often associated with teaching students.

What is the difficulty? The fact that the teacher in the course of his activity constantly solves a huge number of problems - both typical and non-standard. And not always under the same circumstances. And in dealing with their decision, the teacher (like any other researcher) builds up his activities in accordance with the provisions of heuristic search. That is, it conducts an analysis of the situation, builds assumptions about the outcome, taking into account the initial data, assesses the potential of the means available to achieve the goal, formulates tasks. This is a hard work, requiring a creative approach and certain skills and abilities.

What is the value?

Teaching activities have both quantitative and qualitative characteristics. Pedagogical creativity, pedagogical experience and skills are impressive only if the expert himself refers to his activities accordingly - with interest, responsibility, inspiration and enthusiasm. These are the most important conditions!

Pedagogical rationalization, productive learning, achievement of certain successes in all activities in general - all this and much more is possible in the event that there are 5 universally accepted aspects.

The first is the existence of a creative task that interests the teacher himself. The second is the social significance that affects the development of the individual. Third - the availability of social and material prerequisites (in other words - the conditions) required for creativity. The fourth is the novelty and originality of the process or the expected result. And the fifth - the existence of subjective prerequisites for the implementation of creativity. This refers to the skills of the teacher, his knowledge, motivation, enthusiasm, desire to work with the audience.

The main difficulty

Professional pedagogical activity is not for everyone. Why? Because it assumes constant interaction with other people. With those who are an order of magnitude younger (as a rule) and requires knowledge. With people who need to be trained, share their skills and mental resources. With people who do not always want this. Here you need a special, individual approach to each student. All should be interested. Or at least the majority.

Here, pedagogical creativity is fully manifested. The teacher puts himself in the place of students, asks himself countless questions. What could they be interested in? How and what to entice them? What method to resort to to encourage students to learn the material? How can I convey the importance of the subject to them? And so - before each occupation.

First, the teacher forms his plan, which follows from the answers to all the listed and unquoted questions (which are even greater). Then he works it out, transforms it into an idea. Then he "seeks" the methods by which the embodiment of the plan will be real. By the way, it is during these processes that a person acquires an experience of creativity. Of course, from the outside it may seem like drawing up a plan for the lesson. But all the teachers (or at least the majority) write it. That's only for one of the classes go with pleasure, experiencing interest in the subject and to knowledge, and to others - no.

Interaction with the audience

His pedagogical creativity implies in the first place. The success and recognition as a specialist, as well as the quality of the knowledge of students / students, depends on the contact that the teacher will establish with the students.

Which teacher is more interesting to attend to? The one who interacts with the audience, looks into everyone's eyes, and tries to make the lesson as much as possible to a productive colloquium? Or to the lecturer who sits at the table and just reads the material from the notebook? Of course, everyone will choose the first option. And this case is a bright manifestation of creativity. Because it is art to establish contact with the audience.

But here you can not do without creative potential. The formation of which is often facilitated by certain organization of the educational process. It is compulsory, because the purpose of the classes is to transfer knowledge and skills to students / students. And this is what this organization includes:

• Problem training.
• Establishment of interdisciplinary links.
• Educating the positive and creative attitude of students to the study of the subject.
• Ability to determine the main thing and to comprehend what has been done before.
• The development of students' abilities and skills related to synthesis, analysis, classification and generalization.
• Ability to evaluate practical situations.

And these are only the basic provisions that imply pedagogical work. Some of them are worth noting separately.

Problem training

This is a very interesting methodology, implying active interaction of the teacher with students on the basis of the problem-presented content of training. What is its essence?

So, the teacher puts the problem in front of students / students (naturally, after a collective study of the material). So he creates for them a problem situation. Students need to analyze it, understand and accept the essence, and then proceed to solve the problem. In the course of this process they will just apply the skills and information received during the lessons. Such practical exercises teach pupils and students to think, and creatively absorb knowledge.

By the way, an alternative to this methodology is heuristic training. It arose even in the times of Ancient Greece - it was practiced by Socrates himself! For a long time, the method was based on trial and error. However, by accomplishing them, it was possible to come to the truth.

And in this case the foundations of pedagogical creativity also manifest themselves. What should the students do? Only to get involved in the process and apply the data to the teacher of knowledge is not so difficult. A teacher needs to design the same educational and problematic situation, it is understandable to formulate it, and even to give it a special character to interest the audience.

Torrens provisions

They can not be ignored, talking about creativity in pedagogical activity. Alice Paul Torrens was a famous American psychologist who developed the basic principles relating to it. And these provisions on pedagogical creativity are very revealing. Here's what they include:

• Recognition and application of opportunities that were previously not recognized or used.
• Respect and acceptance of the student's desire to work independently.
• Ability not to interfere with the creative process of students / students.
• The ability to provide students with the freedom to choose to achieve goals and apply their skills and strengths.
• Appropriate application of the individual curriculum in relation to students with special abilities.
• Creation of conditions necessary to achieve certain goals.
• Moderate encouragement and praise.
• Elimination of any pressure on students.
• Respect for everyone.
• Manifestation and greeting of enthusiasm.
• Creation of conditions for interaction of "strong" students with less successful.
• Providing feasible authoritative assistance to students - especially students / schoolchildren with an opinion and point of view that is different from others.

All of the above is of great importance. Because the concept of pedagogical creativity includes not only a special approach to teaching, but also the upbringing of students, and their development. Not only all together - but separately. Indeed, in fact, creativity in pedagogy is manifested through the development of unique abilities of students.

Conditions for Teaching

Well, as mentioned earlier, the activities of teachers are complex, like their work. Although he, undoubtedly, gives fruit - if the teacher approaches his tasks in the way described above.

But only to ensure that productivity does not fall, and the specialist also rejoiced the results, we need special conditions for the development of pedagogical creativity. This includes many aspects - both moral and material. The latter, of course, includes incentives, bonuses, worthy of expended energy, time and labor wage. In a word - a manifestation of gratitude and respect. In our time it matters.

But other conditions are also important. These include conciseness, the so-called creativity spremosovannost. Also, the conjugation of the activities of one teacher with others. It is also important that you have the time to prepare. The deferred result also applies here. This is all aimed at encouraging the teacher to carry out creative activities.

By the way, even its development is often promoted by public speeches and the constant correlation of conventional pedagogical methods with non-standard situations. But it is necessary for those teachers who are not used to be creative.

Levels

They should also be noted with attention. Levels of pedagogical creativity have a place to be, and it is accepted to allocate five basic.

The first is called information-reproducing. It implies the use in the solution of professional problems of experience, received and adopted from others by the teacher in the course of its activities.

The second level is called adaptive-prognostic. It consists in the teacher's ability to transform the known data and information, choose methods, methods, methods of interaction with students / students, and take into account their specific personal characteristics.

The third level is known as an innovation. The teacher, corresponding to him, shows his unique experience, the ability to solve non-standard problems, to search for optimal solutions. And in his work there is clearly a certain uniqueness and individuality.

The fourth level is called research. It is the ability of the teacher to designate the conceptual basis of personal search and develop a system of activities, based on the research of its results.

And, finally, the fifth level. Known as a creative-prognostic. Teachers, corresponding to him, are able to put forward the most important tasks and solve them by reasoned, often in properly developed ways. These are teachers of the highest category who can really change and transform the education system.

Contests for teachers

About them, too, I would like to say a few words in the end. Because many of today's competitions for teachers are of a creative nature. Take, for example, "New ideas" and "Methodical system of an effective teacher." These competitions are aimed at the introduction of new, personally developing educational technologies, as well as the presentation and popularization of the experience of educators. There is also a motivation for teachers to use innovations in the learning process.

And there is a contest, which is called - "Pedagogy of creativity." Its goal is, besides all of the above, also in stimulating innovation. And he directed, among other things, to overcome the stereotypes attached to this professional activity.

By the way, such competitions also contribute to creative development and professional growth. And the participation of teachers in them only once again emphasizes their dedication and interest.