Prime Minister’s Award winner, for the Australian University Teacher of the Year, Professor John Croucher Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, says that a good teacher is one who:
- is creative
- explains concepts and information clearly
- is enthusiastic
- keeps information relevant
- serves as a role model
- helps students develop passion for the subject.
And there’s a very long list here, provided by the Higher Education Academy in the UK on what the qualities of an excellent teacher are (pp.12-13). Both lists include the notion of creativity.
And on that, here are 24 tips for creative teaching from Sternberg and Williams: model creativity, build self efficacy, question assumptions, teach students to define and redefine problems, encourage idea generation, cross-fertilise ideas, allow time for creative thinking, instruct and assess creativity, reward creative ideas and products, encourage sensible risks, tolerate ambiguity, allow mistakes, identify and surmount obstacles, teach self-responsibility, promote self-regulation, delay gratification, encourage creative collaboration, imagine other viewpoints, recognise person-environment fit, find excitement, seek stimulating environments, play to strengths, grow creatively, and – go on – proselytise for creativity – spread the word.