Foundations of Wonder: CCE Leading for Creative Thinking

What makes creativity possible in an educational setting, and how does that experience feel for the adults working within it? At Creativity, Culture and Education’s Leading for Creative Thinking gathering, Winsy Flores joined Dr Amie Fabry and Dr Karen Wickett to explore wonder and creativity in the early years. The conversation extended beyond children’s creative experiences to consider professional trust, time, curiosity and the permission educators need to experiment with ideas that do not arrive with predetermined outcomes.

Rocket Productions contribution drew on its developing work in cultures of proffesional curiosity and curatorial pedagogy, where teachers make intentional decisions about space, materials, relationships and encounters while remaining responsive to what children actually notice and do. Sharing these ideas with an international professional community invited a broader discussion about the culture of teaching itself. 

Creative practice depends on knowledgeable educators who have the confidence to question routines, reflect on their observations and make changes. The gathering offered another opportunity to consider how schools might create those conditions for teachers, as well as for the children in their care.