Bringing Creativity to the Classroom

Being able to bring creativity and life to a classroom is always a challenge. I am always thinking well if I do it this way will the students be like oh this is cool or this is boring. By bringing creativity to the classroom you are able to make the learning environment fun and intriguing.

In my AgriEcology class this week I taught the idea of estimating populations, factors that contribute to populations, and how they react to changes in the habitat. One way I taught this was through Tragedy of the Commons lesson where the students went fishing to understand the effects that humans and limits have on populations.

In Honors Ag Mechanics they worked on finishing their birdhouses. People have always made fun or talked by obsession with the home make over shows. However, my cooperating teacher saw the beginning of the week where they torched a counter top to add patterns and texture instead of staining. So what did we do? Showed the students this idea and about half the class was like this is cool and did it. With this technique each birdhouse is different in its own way and they look awesome.