Fueling Creativity in Education

In this second Season 13 debrief, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett revisit conversations with educators Greg McClure, Valencia Abbott, and school principal Dan Mault. Together, they reflect on how creativity shows up in everyday teaching and explore practical ways educators can make learning more meaningful for students.

The discussion begins with Greg McClure and the connection between creativity and the science of reading. The hosts consider how teachers can deliberately invite creative thinking into literacy lessons by asking students to imagine new possibilities, explore different perspectives, and make connections with characters. They then reflect on Valencia Abbott's work, exploring why some educators may not recognize themselves as creative and how creativity also involves improving teaching practices, responding to students' needs, and connecting classroom learning with the wider community.

The conversation also examines Dan Mault's approach to school leadership and his commitment to remaining open to teachers' ideas. His simple phrase, “We'll figure it out,” highlights how leaders can work collaboratively through challenges rather than dismissing new possibilities. The hosts also discuss the importance of hands-on learning, play, face-to-face communication, and building relationships as schools reconsider the role of technology in students' lives.

Creativity can be taught explicitly while also being woven into everyday instruction.

Teachers demonstrate creativity when they reflect on their practice, adapt to students' needs, and find better ways to support learning.

Educators may be practicing creativity without recognizing it, especially when they associate creativity only with artistic expression.

School leaders can nurture a creative culture by staying open to new ideas and working collaboratively through practical challenges.

Building relationships, encouraging play, and creating opportunities for meaningful conversation are essential parts of supporting students' growth.

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How can educators give students the freedom to solve problems creatively? And how can school leaders create an environment where teachers feel comfortable sharing and exploring new ideas?

In this episode, educator, principal, and author Dan Mault shares his experiences coaching students through Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination. These programs challenge students to collaborate, design, build, and solve open-ended problems. Dan explains why educators need to guide students without taking over, allowing them to experience productive struggle, test ideas, and adapt when things do not go as planned.

The conversation then explores how school leaders can support creativity among teachers. Drawing on his experience as an elementary school principal, Dan discusses how creative problem-solving practices can make meetings more inclusive, encourage different perspectives, and help educators feel safe sharing their ideas. Rather than immediately saying yes or no to a new proposal, he encourages leaders to work with teachers to figure out what is possible.

Dan also reflects on the role of technology in elementary education and why his school has renewed its focus on hands-on learning, play, and meaningful conversations between students. His experiences highlight how schools can make room for creativity by prioritizing collaboration, relationships, and opportunities to explore.

Students develop creative problem-solving skills when educators provide support without giving them all the answers.

Open-ended challenges can encourage students to experiment, collaborate, and adapt when their ideas do not work as expected.

School leaders can foster creativity by creating psychological safety and making sure every voice is heard.

Responding to new ideas with “Let's figure out how to make this work” can open the door to meaningful change.

Hands-on activities, play, and face-to-face conversations remain important parts of creative learning, even in technology-rich schools.

Dan Mault is an educator, elementary school principal, and author with nearly two decades of experience in education. He began his career as an elementary teacher, coached Destination Imagination and Odyssey of the Mind teams, and founded a STEAM club to help students collaborate and explore creative problem-solving. He is the author of Creativity by Design, hosts the Real Talk School Leadership podcast, and is studying Creativity and Change Leadership at Buffalo State University.

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In this episode, award-winning history teacher Valencia Abbott shares how she brings creativity into her social studies classroom by connecting historical content to her students' interests, experiences, and communities. From using NASCAR to make the 1920s more relevant to her students to exploring Korean history through her own curiosity, Valencia shows how making unexpected connections can create more engaging learning experiences.

Valencia also discusses a community history project focused on the Supreme Court case Griggs v. Duke Power Company. Through research, grants, and partnerships with her local community, she brought students into the process of uncovering and preserving an important story that many people in their own community did not know. The project gave students opportunities to work as historians while connecting classroom learning to their local history.

The conversation also explores the importance of recognizing teachers and the humanities. Valencia reflects on what being named the 2025 National History Teacher of the Year meant to her and how recognition can validate work that often happens behind the scenes. She also shares how becoming a teacher later in life helped her discover a career that connected her passion for history, storytelling, and helping students build meaningful futures.

Creativity can emerge from making meaningful connections between curriculum and students' interests.

Teachers can help students engage with history by showing them a wider range of perspectives and stories.

Community-based projects can give students authentic opportunities to research, contribute, and preserve history.

Creativity often requires curiosity, flexibility, and a willingness to explore ideas before knowing exactly where they will lead.

Recognizing teachers can affirm the value of work that may otherwise go unnoticed, especially in the humanities.

Valencia Abbott is an award-winning history teacher and department chair at Rockingham Early College High School in Wentworth, North Carolina. She was named the 2025 National History Teacher of the Year and the 2025 North Carolina History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History. Her work connects local history with broader conversations around democracy, civic engagement, and historical memory.

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Can creativity thrive within a structured literacy classroom?

Greg McClure, an elementary educator and literacy specialist, joins us to explore how teachers can bring creativity into reading instruction without treating it as an extra.

Greg shares his experience moving toward the science of reading and explains how explicitly teaching literacy skills can work alongside creativity. Rather than choosing between structure and creative learning, he encourages teachers to find meaningful ways to bring both into the classroom.

The conversation explores how creative questions can strengthen reading comprehension. Greg shares examples from Hatchet, showing how questions that invite students to make connections, imagine possibilities, and explain their thinking can lead to richer discussions while still checking for understanding.

Greg also introduces the idea of clarifying a problem before jumping to solutions through a live activity called “Quest for Clarity.” The activity demonstrates how asking thoughtful questions can help students gather information, understand a problem more clearly, and develop better solutions.

Greg McClure is an elementary educator and literacy specialist with a master's in Creativity and Change Leadership from SUNY Buffalo State University. He has worked in elementary education for more than a decade and focuses on bringing creativity research into practical classroom experiences. He also develops creative classroom tools and activities through Breakout Brains.

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What can neuroscience and neurodiversity teach us about creativity, and how can we create professional development experiences that are both meaningful and enjoyable?

In this first debrief episode of Season 13, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett reflect on their recent conversations with Adam Green, Leonie Baldacchino, and Dr. Matt Zagreski. They revisit ideas about creativity, neuroscience, neurodiversity, and the role of fun in learning.

The conversation explores whether we sometimes overcomplicate creativity, how evaluation can affect students' willingness to take creative risks, and why creativity should be recognized across all areas of learning, not just gifted education.

They also discuss the value of fun in professional development. Rather than using activities simply to entertain, they consider how purposeful play, warm-ups, and opportunities to connect can help educators engage, build relationships, and prepare for deeper learning.

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In this episode, Dr. Matt Zagreski explores the relationship between neurodiversity and creativity, explaining how differences in brain development and neural connections can influence the way people process information, make connections, and solve problems.

The conversation looks at why traditional learning environments may not work for every student, including the impact of boredom, executive functioning, and the need for different ways of engaging with learning. Matt also challenges the idea that creativity belongs only in gifted education, emphasizing that creativity should be part of every student's educational experience.

The episode also explores the importance of understanding neurodivergent students as individuals rather than viewing differences as deficits. Matt shares his own experiences and discusses how educators can create environments that help students recognize and build on their strengths.

Dr. Matt Zagreski is a clinical psychologist, professor, researcher, author, and professional speaker who specializes in supporting neurodivergent individuals. He is the co-founder of the Neurodiversity Collective and author of The Neurodiversity Playbook.

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In this episode, Professor Leonie Baldacchino from the Edward de Bono Institute for Creative Thinking and Innovation discusses the connections between creativity, STEM, enjoyment, and wellbeing. She also shares insights from her research with secondary school students and the role of divergent thinking.

The conversation then explores intuition and how it can develop through experience and expertise. While teachers can benefit from trusting their instincts, Leonie explains why a gut feeling should also be followed by questions, reflection, and careful decision-making.

The episode closes with a personal story about Leonie's journey into education and creativity and how a mentor helped her recognize potential she had not yet seen in herself.

Professor Leonie Baldacchino is an academic at the Edward de Bono Institute for Creative Thinking and Innovation at the University of Malta. Her research focuses on creativity, entrepreneurship, intuition, innovation, and decision-making.

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In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett welcome Dr. Adam Green, professor at Georgetown University and director of the Laboratory for Relational Cognition, for a conversation about neuroscience, creativity, the ECHO Project, and AI.

The conversation explores how researchers can study what happens in the brain during creative thinking and how this work might eventually help inform the development of better learning experiences. Adam also explains why neuroscience should add to what educators already know from observing and assessing students, rather than replace those approaches.

The discussion then turns to the ECHO Project, a global collaboration involving nearly 200 creativity scholars. The project found significant agreement among researchers about the language used to describe creativity and related concepts such as imagination, problem-solving, and innovation. Developing a shared understanding can help educators be more precise about what they want students to develop.

The episode also explores the growing role of AI in creative work. While AI can produce polished results, research discussed in the episode suggests that it may also make people's ideas more similar to one another. This raises an important question for educators: Are we using AI to support the creative process, or simply to produce a better final product?

The conversation closes with a story about creativity, adaptation, and joy from Adam's experience at a camp for children with chronic illnesses. His story highlights how creativity can help us find new ways to create meaningful experiences for people with different needs.

Dr. Adam Green  is a professor at Georgetown University and director of the Laboratory for Relational Cognition. His research focuses on human creative intelligence and the neuroprocesses involved in creative relational reasoning. He also led the ECHO Project, bringing together creativity scholars from around the world to develop a shared understanding of creativity.

Want to explore some of the research and ideas discussed in this episode? Here are a few resources related to Adam’s work and the conversation about creativity and AI:

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Season 13 of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast begins with a special introduction recorded from Mount Etna in Sicily, a place that has fascinated Dr. Matthew Worwood since childhood.

The episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of recording from the side of an active volcano, including poor signal, a rapidly draining battery, and the uncertainty of whether the episode would actually make it onto the podcast.

But those challenges become part of the conversation.

A simple question about whether there should be snow on Mount Etna leads to an unexpected discovery about snow trapped beneath volcanic ash. The experience becomes a reminder of how curiosity can turn an ordinary observation into a series of new questions and discoveries.

The conversation also connects the experience on Mount Etna to several of the ideas explored in The Future Creative, including Ask Questions, Model Creative Behavior, Face the Feelings, and Enjoy the Ride.

Rather than simply talking about these ideas, the episode offers a real-life example of what they can look like when something doesn't go according to plan. It is a fitting way to begin a new season and a new academic year.

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📘 Purchase Your Copy of The Future Creative: 10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education

In this final episode of the Summer 2026 Listen and Learn Series, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett explore the tenth and final action from The Future Creative: Enjoy the Ride.

Teaching can sometimes feel like driving on autopilot. You get through the lesson, answer the questions, cover the material, and move on to the next thing. But when we are constantly focused on what comes next, we can miss the small moments that make teaching meaningful.

This episode explores the importance of noticing joy in everyday classroom experiences. A student's breakthrough, a surprising question, a moment of laughter, or a small sign of growth can remind us why we chose this work in the first place.

The episode also challenges the idea that fun is separate from serious learning. When students experience joy, they can become more willing to participate, take risks, and remember what they learn. But enjoyment matters for educators too. Finding moments of fun and connection can help us stay engaged and bring more energy into our work.

Dr. Matthew shares a personal story about a stressful period when he was writing about joy while feeling anything but joyful. A silly idea from his family about dressing up as their dog, Riggy, for a holiday card became an unexpected reminder to pause, laugh, and enjoy the moment.

The goal isn't to make every lesson bigger, louder, or more entertaining. Sometimes it is simply about noticing what is already enjoyable and giving ourselves permission to experience it.

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Visit FuelingCreativityPodcast.com for more information or email us at [email protected].