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I kept my mouth shut. They discussed options.
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They chose and performed various activities.
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With ten minutes left, they asked me to speak.
That is what occurred at a recent group session.
There was not a great number of participants. They arrived with only a few items prepared.
The young girl running the meeting discovered that they had finished everything that had been planned.
They still had half an hour left.
I kept my mouth shut. They don’t need another adult talking to them.
They discussed options. They decided to debate and voted on suggested topics.
They decided to debate as to whether physical education should be mandatory.
They debated if home schooling is better than public schools.
They created a story which went around the table with everyone adding to it.
When they had ten minutes left they asked me to speak. I gave some feedback on the session.
I complimented them on their creativity.
Also I noted how they had handled the discussions and decisions diplomatically.
They had a session where they practiced creativity.
ENCOURAGING CREATIVITY:
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Create an environment where no one makes fun of new ideas.
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Be open-minded and spontaneous.
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Don’t stifle creativity with too many rules.
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Be a creative role model. Don’t stick to the same routines.
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Encourage them to take risks.
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Inform them that there are no wrong ideas.
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Focus on the fun and not the result.
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Allow free time for creativity.
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Encourage them to explore subjects on their own.
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Help them see the value of mistakes as this helps to the finding of solutions.
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Encourage questions.
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Appreciate and encourage their imagination and creative ideas.
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Praise surprising and unexpected ideas or ways of doing things.
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Allow them to challenge what you say.
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Keep an open mind – don’t have expectations.
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Try not to jump in with your ideas. There is rarely just one way of doing things.
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Encourage them to think about what they’re doing.
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Ask open-ended questions such as: “How could we make this even better?” or “Will others understand this?” or “Is this going to be helpful?”
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Encourage brainstorming activities in groups.
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Introduce something new in their world. Watch videos or organise outings.
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Have then talk about their interests.
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Have high, but realistic, expectations of what they are able to achieve.
That’s a long list. The above will encourage them to be creative.
In our previous post we listed the many benefits of creativity. Creativity is a key skill to develop for success in the future.
Let’s help them create an environment in which they can be creative.
Please share your ideas on how we can assist our youth to be creative and have fun in group coaching.
If you require more information, please contact us.
LEARN MORE:
Are you are interested in learning more about group coaching?
If so, contact us to obtain a report on a simple and easy system on how to set up group coaching programs for youth. You can do this in the ‘Contact us‘ section of the website.
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Wishing you lots of love and laughter, as always.
Fred Jones
Victoria, BC Canada
Fred Jones