Creative teaching



1. Introduction

The concepts “creative” and “teaching” are not often employed together, and the meaning of the concept “creative teaching” is not familiar to many people. Creativity entails the ability to create meaningful, new forms of learning (Gibson, 2010:608), it also entails combining and reshuffling existing facts, ideas and skills in ways that invoke deeper interest in the learning material (https://www.igi-global.com/). The question arises, however, whether such a novel approach to teaching is appropriate for all target audiences. I'm convinced that learners can really benefit a lot from a creative teaching approach and that it can have a huge impact on learners enjoyment of learning. In this essay, attention is paid firstly to the definition and benefits of creative teaching, subsequently to the advantages of creative teaching specifically in the English classroom, and thirdly to the potential risks related to creative teaching.

2. Definition and benefits of creative teaching

In the process of creative teaching, the teacher inspires interests in learning material and then leads students to find problems by themselves creatively and to use all sorts of available resources to find the best solution creatively. In other words, it uses creative methods to engage students, but also encourages students to think creatively. This method hold several benefits, including fostering deeper understanding of the material, developing higher order thinking and better preparing students for success in the working environment (Gibson, 2010:609). 

3. The advantages of creativity in the English classroom.

When the focus is on teaching and writing in the English classroom specifically, creative techniques such as humour, the employment of gamification, the use of team-based activities, role play and excursions have been found to hold great advantages (Kruger, 2007:28). According to Domino, Vieira and Velasques (cited by Kruger, 2007:29): “In addition to the function of entertainment, these techniques can also aid in the interest of greater conceptualisation, insight, understanding, sympathy, empathy and a realisation of contextuality on the side of the receiver.”

4. Risks related to creative teaching

In spite of the above-mentioned benefits, some believe that combining creativity with teaching carries potential risk arising from expectations of what teaching should look like and disappointment or bewilderment when it does not employ traditional methods.When the decision is made to implement creativity, it should applied properly and consistently and an explanation should be provided of the approach taken. Those who desire to experiment with creative teaching should not only have a passionate interest in it but also lots of confidence (Gibson, R. 2010:608), they should "sell" their approach appropriately to students. One technique to make teaching more creative, the employment of humour in the teaching situation, has also been found to be potentially problematic, specifically when it relies on crude language or tends to be culturally embedded . Therefore, when introduced in the classroom as part of a creative teaching approach, great care should be taken to ensure that material of a humorous nature is suitable for the target audience.

5. Conclusion

Although it is not an easy task to approach teaching in a creative way, and it potentially carries certain risks, a creative teaching approach has several advantages. Especially within the English classroom. As pointed out above, some creative techniques, such as the use of humour, should be treated with caution and unfamiliar teaching techniques need to be explained. However, research shows that creativity in the classroom, if applied properly, can lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter, and can help learners discover their own creativity.


Reference list

Domino, G., Short, J., Eva, N.S.A. & Romano, P.  2002.  Creativity and ego defense mechanisms: some exploratory empirical evidence.  Creativity research journal, 14(1):17-25.


Gibson, R.  2010.  Points of departure: the “art” of creative teaching: implications for higher education.  Teaching in Higher Education, 15(5):607-613.

Sawyer, R.K. & Smith, S.  2004.  Creative Teaching: Collaborative Discussion as Disciplined Improfisation.  Educational Researcher, 33(2):12-20


Kruger, E.  2007.  Die gebruik van humor om kreatiewe skryf in die onderrig van Afrikaans te stimuleer: ŉ gevallestudie.  Literator, 28(2):21-47.