The Creative Classroom Experience

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Welcome to the Creative Classroom Experience

 “The current curriculum”…is a theme I have heard for years in all levels of schools: elementary right up to international university. So as I understand, “curriculum” consists of the ideas and concepts that a group of individuals thinks is relevant for learning. I agree. However, I have a different word that I like to use—which is the reason for this book. That word is “education,” which doesn’t mean a prescribed set of ideas that someone (or many people) think is the correct mandated set of lessons. Education has several meanings: “The wealth of knowledge acquired by an individual after studying particular subject matters or experiencing life lessons that provide an understanding of something.”

I agree again. So after 20 years of working in the field of teaching, I have met many teachers—and only a handful of educators. In MY view (and I’m biased on this), an educator EXPANDS the level of learning of students. It’s not just “absorb this and prepare for the next standardized test.” I like to extrapolate and juxtapose ideas as I teach. (Hint: to extrapolate means to think beyond boundaries. “Thinking out of the box” is one way to say it. I think on parallel tangents—and also dimensionally. Not just physically dimensional, but beyond that realm. I also like to juxtapose: to place ideas side-by-side and compare, contrast, analyze, and look for similarities and differences—and how they are one-and-the-same. I also like them because they have the letter ‘x’ in them, and that’s not too often found in vocabulary.)

 So I’ve been an educator who extrapolates—and juxtaposes. I’ve taken my students’ minds to higher levels on cross-curriculum and multiple subject matter. That’s what an educator should do—as I see it. I’ve had that satisfaction on both the East Coast and West Coast of the U.S. as well as a state in the Deep South—and also at a major university of finance and economics in China. Welcome to a creative educational way of “thinking outside of the box” for a different way of learning. And please leave standardized testing for the companies who milk the education system for data at the expense of students and teachers.

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Star Light, in Sight (for Alix Bogart)

  In a time quite long ago, You were one who yearned to know

The secrets of the Universe. A person who was sometimes terse.

With someone else who loved to ponder

Things that happened here and yonder.

Both of us would wonder why, Things occurred up in the sky.

And further out; we tried to see, Splendid things that seem to be

Hidden from the average soul, To learn them all became our goal.

I was one who had intentions, Make good use: my mind’s inventions.

You would read and contemplate; Between us two, we did debate.

Other’s thoughts in ancient Greek, We scientists did learn to speak.

Powdered wigs upon our heads, We challenged what each other said.

You have returned; I’m glad to see

Your name, I think is known to me.

But who I was, I’ll let you guess, But worry not, nor feel duress.

I told you then of what I know, And now I see ingrained to show.

You did not know the thoughts I shared

But I am glad to see you cared.  

Enough to wish  to learn them now

I’m back again; I’ll show you how.

But be of cheer; you made your claim

And what you found has kept your name.

It does appear: it seems to burn

Samuel Clemens: he did learn

That when it came to see his birth, 

He knew his time allowed on Earth.

So solve this riddle, and you’ll see

Identities: both you and me.

The Guiding Stars will tell the clue

The hint of what I said to you:

“I studied it (our tempers hot);

I know it, Sir, but you do not.”