Risky Business

Tim Graves, M.S.Ed.

This article is from the Summer 2000 issue of the Reporter, the news magazine of the New York State Association for the Education of Young Children.

"Creativity can be described as letting go of certainties."

--Gail Sheehy

 I walk into my college classroom.  I am excited and perhaps a bit nervous.  I have been working on a new idea for teaching my college students a concept that they have been struggling with for weeks.  Despite the fact that I spent hours preparing for this great idea, within fifteen minutes of the three-hour class I can tell by the faces of confusion and boredom that this idea, this creative idea, is a failure.  Perhaps I'll return to the overhead lectures.

 Or perhaps, I'll begin a discussion, taking advantage of a "teachable moment," about how the best laid plans of teachers sometimes flop and my students will be more forgiving of themselves while student teaching.

 I walk into my toddler classroom.  I have been to a workshop and heard a great idea for a new organic, sensory material that "all toddlers love."  One by one, the toddlers glance in the sensory table and walk away.  One touches it and begins crying.  At lunchtime, not one child has more than poked at the new sensory material that I spent hours preparing.  Another creative flop.  Perhaps I'll return to the ditto masters.

 Or perhaps, I'll try adding something to the material or I'll empty it out and refill the table with water and bubbles even though it doesn't fit my theme for the week.

 At the staff meeting, we spend hours and hours planning how a new staffing pattern will solve our problems.   Even the members of the "loyal opposition" feel invested in the plan and are, if not enthusiastic, not overtly negative. We try it and it fails in creative ways.  Perhaps I'll return to just telling people what is going to happen.

 Or perhaps, we'll continue the process at the next staff meeting.  We'll analyze what went well and not so well and revise the plan together.

 Creativity requires risks.  Sometimes when I take risks I fail.  Just as often, however, even with the failures, I feel exhilaration and freedom as I learn something about my college students, my toddlers, my staff, or myself.  If we create an environment of trust that accepts and expects new ideas and failures, than creativity will blossom.

 In this issue of the Reporter, you will find many stories of creativity and risk-taking.  I hope that you find them helpful.