It took me years to transform my instruction toward a more student-centered approach. This is my story where I share my journey toward student ownership through student choice.    Listen to the Podcast Just click on the audio below to listen to this Creative Classroom podcast. You can also listen to it on the go […] The post Who Owns the Learning in Your Classroom? appeared first on John Spencer.

Happy Star Wars Day! Here’s a reflection about Yoda, teaching, and the deeply human element of being a teacher. Listen to the Podcast Just click on the audio below to listen to this Creative Classroom podcast. You can also listen to it on the go by subscribing on iTunes (ideal for iPhone users) or Google […] The post Was Yoda a Good Teacher? (Happy Star Wars Day) appeared first on John Spencer.

Hollywood often portrays the creative process as a solitary journey toward a fixed dream. But artists, engineers, and innovators, often find that the creative journey is fluid, collaborative, and evolving. Listen to the Podcast Just click on the audio below to listen to this Creative Classroom podcast. You can also listen to it on the […] The post 4 Surprising Truths About the Creative Journey (Why It’s Almost Nothing Like La La Land) appeared first on John Spencer.

My cohort graduates today. I feel so honored to be a part of their journey. So, here is my hope for them.   Listen to the Podcast Just click on the audio below to listen to this Creative Classroom podcast. You can also listen to it on the go by subscribing on iTunes (ideal for […] The post Be Wildly and Unabashedly Different (My Hope for My Cohort as They Graduate) appeared first on John Spencer.

When we think about creativity and innovation, the words “humor” and “goofiness” don’t typically come to mind. But I’d argue that this is a critical piece of what it means to cultivate a climate of creativity.  Listen to the Podcast Just click on the audio below to listen to this Creative Classroom podcast. You can […] The post Five Ways Humor Boosts Creative Thinking and Problem-Solving in the Classroom appeared first on John Spencer.

It seems counterintuitive but gratitude can actually help us find the hidden opportunities that lead to creativity and innovation in the classroom.   Listen to the Podcast Just click on the audio below to listen to this Creative Classroom podcast. You can also listen to it on the go by subscribing on iTunes (ideal for iPhone […] The post Find the Hidden Opportunity appeared first on John Spencer.

When we imagine the future of learning, we often hear about STEM and STEAM and things like robotics or coding. But I’d argue that one of the most relevant subjects for developing a maker mindset is actually journalism. Here’s why.  Listen to the Podcast Just click on the audio below to listen to this Creative […] The post Why Journalism Might Actually Be the Class of the Future appeared first on John Spencer.

There’s a common cultural assumption that “kids these days” can’t focus due to screen time. They simply lack the attention span needed to engage in deep work. But what if that’s not entirely true? What if this generation is capable of reaching a state of creative flow?    Listen to the Podcast Just click on […] The post Getting Past the Attention-Span Myth (Thoughts on Creative Focus) appeared first on John Spencer.

About six weeks ago, my son asked if he could start a cubing club for anyone interested in solving Rubix cubes together. (Heads-up: cubers can get really sensitive about calling it a Rubix cube because that’s almost never the brand they use.) He planned it all out. They would meet on Tuesday nights at 7:30 p.m. […] The post Seven Ways to Help Students Develop a Growth Mindset appeared first on John Spencer.

About a week ago, I created a video about how to thrive as an introverted teacher. I sat down in front of the camera, shared some spontaneous thoughts, and then edited it the next day. From start to finish, it took around 45 minutes to make. While that might not seem fast, it was a huge […] The post Helping Students Develop Creative Fluency appeared first on John Spencer.