What is this all about?

I am nervous about writing this blog and have often thought that one of the dangers of blogging is that it invites us to share our thoughts before they are fully developed. Whilst this is to be encouraged in discussion and debate in safe circumstances, there is something a little more edgy about committing these thoughts to the world wide web. One of the reasons I am nervous is because I want to question some of the words of some people that are very highly regarded at the moment. Sir Ken Robinson, for example is currently synonymous with this 'creativity' issue and has somehow rubbed me up the wrong way and its time for me to write it down!

Before I go further, I would like to issue the following disclaimers! In principle I agree whole heartedly with the need for allowing and encouraging creativity in schools as endorsed by Sir Ken and others and as is the focus of the current IBWorld magazine (image left) that prompted me to write. I am grateful that people talk and write about these things and for the work of all the people involved and am in no way critisising any of this work. Follow the picture link to find out more about IB World. 

So to the point. My issue with all of this creativity talk is 'why is this being treated like a new idea?'. I admit that I may have had some fortunate working environments in my teaching career, but those environments have been amongst the most creative I have ever experienced. Teaching and teaching mathematics is a richly rewarding profession that completely depends on creativity to encourage creativity. I was indoctrinated to this school of thought from the very beginning by my PGCSE tutors at Nottingham University, Tony Cotton and Peter Gates and this was continued as I did further post gradutae studies at Oxford University with Anne Watson and John Mason, the latter being the author of 'Thinking Mathematically' which I believe is a must for all maths teachers and was first published 30 years ago.

In the midst of making some excellent points, Ken Robinson refers to some annecdotes that paint schools and teachers in a terrible light and get a good laugh - he is an excellent speaker. I find myself asking how much time he has spent in schools. If it is a lot, then he should have some different annecdotes that demonstrate just how creative schools can actually be. In the current issue of IBWorld, there is a little window with the heading 'teaching maths can be creative too' that goes on to talk about how maths is one of the most difficult areas in which to achieve this. As I read this I wonder about how out of the ordinary my own experiences might be that I see it almost the other way round, that it is almost easier to be creative in mathematics than it is in other subjects.

I am sure that all this is linked to the stigma that our subject has long suffered from, that maths is black and white, an unquestionable truth, and invariant crutch on which we can depend. This along with the perception that it must be difficult, some people are just born with it but it can be learned with drill and practise. As teachers I think its our duty to challenge these notions and paint a truer picture of our subject. As a result I will make a point of trying to refer to this creativity as I blog in future about teaching maths, with specific examples.

For now, and in the interests of fairness I will refer you to some of the work of the people mentioned above....

Ken Robinson does TED

Here is one I prefer from Sir Ken

Daniel Pink 

A whole new mind - This is the book at the centre of the IB World issue above

John Mason

 Thinking Mathematically - One of the books that has inspired me as a maths teacher