The Dangers of Over-Routine
Schools often rely heavily on routine for several reasons: it simplifies standardization, eases the workload for teachers and administrators, and provides students with a sense of safety and comfort. While these reasons are valid, the issue lies in the excessive reliance on routines.
Think of our brains as balancing on a seesaw. Too much surprise can lead to anxiety, while too little creates boredom, which can raise cortisol levels and hinder learning and memory. To truly engage our minds, we must strike a balance. Society has mastered the routine side; now it’s time to embrace the element of surprise.
Research indicates that surprise is central to effective learning. Unexpected information captures our attention, enhances our emotions by up to 400 percent, broadens our understanding, and encourages discussions about what we’ve learned. Even infants, when confronted with surprises, instinctively explore their surroundings, absorbing information to make sense of the unexpected. Surprise enriches the learning experience and fosters creativity by forming new neural connections in the brain.
So how can we incorporate surprise into educational settings, whether in schools or at home? Here are some creative suggestions:
- Ask Thought-Provoking Questions: Stimulate curiosity with questions like, “Why do you think clouds float?” or “What do you think was the most exciting moment in history?”
- Add a Fun Twist to Assignments: For example, “Imagine if a movie star started a food fight. If Emma throws a piece of cake at Selena with a speed of 3 ft/hr over a distance of 10 ft, how fast does she need to run to dodge it?”
- Introduce Mystery: Build anticipation by saying, “Today we’re going to try something completely new, but I’ll keep it a surprise for now!”
- Gamify Lessons: Turn concepts into games, like using a variation of telephone to illustrate how messages travel through synaptic pathways.
- Engage with the Real World: Write letters, meet local experts, or take spontaneous field trips. Remember how exciting those school trips were? You can recreate that thrill anytime!
In essence, disrupt the mundane. If our brains become too adept at predicting outcomes, there’s little motivation to stay engaged.
Fostering Tolerance for Ambiguity
Another critical gap in education is the lack of emphasis on teaching kids how to tolerate ambiguity. We excel at imparting knowledge, but we often neglect to encourage wonder, contemplation, and the acceptance that not everything has a clear answer.
During my time as a college instructor, I frequently encountered seniors who were overwhelmed with anxiety about their future. After years of following directions, they felt lost when it came to self-direction. Instead of approaching life as explorers, many viewed themselves as failures.
Contrast this with a Hawaiian teaching method where students are encouraged to sit with their questions for an entire day. If they haven’t found an answer (or a better question) by then, they can seek help. This approach nurtures a comfort with uncertainty and promotes the appreciation of doubt.
Encouraging daydreaming can help as well; it’s beneficial for brain development. Ask open-ended questions that don’t have definitive answers, like “What do you think is the key to happiness?” When kids seek answers, respond with questions of your own, prompting them to think critically.
Invite friends from diverse backgrounds or visit their homes to broaden perspectives. Engage in creative activities without templates—let imagination run wild!
While I’m not suggesting we abandon all structure, I firmly believe that education should be as captivating as a thrilling novel or an engaging video game. The reason we can’t put down a good book or stop playing a challenging game is due to their effective use of surprise. They maintain an ideal balance on the seesaw of predictability and excitement.
Just like our favorite stories and games, schools should feel less like a chore and more like an adventure filled with delightful surprises.
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Summary
To foster creativity in children, it’s crucial to introduce elements of surprise and uncertainty into their learning environments. By encouraging curiosity, critical thinking, and open-ended exploration, we can help children develop a more balanced approach to learning that values both knowledge and the unknown.