In Everything, Give Thanks by Joyce

In Everything, Give Thanks by Joyce - November 2015 Scholarship Essay

Ellen Hopkins writes, “Sometimes the little things in life mean the most.” It is essential to realize the importance of creativity in our education. I can’t help but appreciate every ounce of creativity we are encouraged to demonstrate in our learning environments. Whether it be creating our own political cartoons, or helping to paint a school mural, the influence to our minds is great. This influence works silently but unyieldingly in our craniums each day that we are given the opportunity to express ourselves through our work.
As a student of a performing arts school, it is easy to forget how much a day without expression can affect me. Education and creativity go hand-in-hand, an analogous combination. Creativity allows the student to be innovative and create original approaches to whatever the task is at hand. Daily, I am motivated to approach a pirouette turn in a way that is creative in my dance classes. It is not different when I am motivated to create a story in my AP English class. In both, I am learning and expanding my mind to new ideas. Creativity in education allows me to discover the depths of a subject and the manners in which I can take on challenges.
I am appreciative of this aspect of education, especially in an educational system that typically forces students into a box. I can appreciate any opportunity I receive to step out of this box. The departments of education promote standardized tests and lesson plans. Why not hold on steadfastly to every ounce of ingenuity you receive? Creativity in education produces the best chefs, engineers, doctors. I am not the only one who appreciates creativity in education; companies and colleges are seeking people who can think creatively and work well in teams. Creativity is not something that can be squeezed into a thirty minute Powerpoint. Creativity is a process of several years that along with the brain, expands, grows, and blossoms day after day in the minds of each student.
Students and educators alike should look for and push for creativity in education daily. Creativity in education is something that must not be overlooked, but embraced with arms open wide. This “little thing,” this little aspect of education makes lasting impacts on the minds it has been used with, for years to come.