Do you consistently reflect on how creative your teaching methods are? In this episode of Fueling Creativity, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood speak with author and retired teacher, Juliet Desailly. After becoming a lecturer at the Institute of Education, educating a new generation of primary teachers, it became obvious to her that the practice she had developed in the classroom was very much in line with the theories of creativity in education now being written about by academics.

As she reflects on her life as an elementary school teacher in the UK, Juliet summarizes the introduction of the National Standards during the 1980s and its eventual impact on student and teacher creativity in the classroom. She also speaks on how London’s education system compares to the rest of the UK, how to start reflecting upon the creativity in your own teaching methods, and what she would do to change how others view creativity in the classroom.

“One of the things I think is most illuminating is… that where there is difficulty, where there is challenge, it actually makes people be more creative in order to solve those problems. For me, in those inner-city schools, it was about engagement, it was about overcoming attitudes to being in school… every teacher in every classroom will find something.”

            - Juliet Desailly

Juliet’s Tips for Teachers and Parents:

1. Really get to know your children. What engages them? What motivates them? What fascinates them? Remember, every child and group of children is slightly different.

“Science, technology, all occupations, they all need creative people. Our countries all need creative people. The world needs them and yet still we are pushed back into thinking that ‘Oh, well creativity’s lovely but I need to get my test results up first’ or ‘Creativity’s great but we only have time to do it in a week before the holidays’.”

- Juliet Desailly

Resources Mentioned:

Creativity in the Primary Classroom by Juliet Desailly

Eager to bring more creativity into your home or classroom? 

Access various creativity resources and tools & listen to more episodes of The Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast by visiting www.CreativityandEducation.com.

What to learn more about Design Thinking in Education? 

Do you want to build a sustained culture of innovation and creativity at your school?  Visit WorwoodClassroom.com to learn how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom. 

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About Juliet Desailly:

Now retired, Juliet has worked in education for over 40 years. As a primary school teacher for over twenty of those years she worked to refine and adapt the curriculum to suit the needs of the children she taught in inner-city London.

She went on to become a lecturer at the Institute of Education, educating a new generation of primary teachers. It became obvious to her that the practice she had developed in the classroom was very much in line with the theories of creativity in education now being written about by academics. This allowed her to combine the two in really practical but theoretically based advice on practice in the classroom and in curriculum design. She worked as a consultant in schools on creativity and curriculum design and the importance of social and emotional aspects of learning.

She is the author of Creativity in the Primary Classroom and two children’s novels set in Ancient Egypt, with a companion volume of activities for teachers to use based on the books. She currently runs workshops for schools based on her children’s books and being an author.

Visit Juliet’s website