Involving
Creativity and Tackling down the Structured Box of Thinking
in English Teaching-Learning
Activity
Anita
Yusticia Sari (111214080)
English has been the International
language in all over the world as the impact of globalization. Many schools add
English as the subjects in order to make students globalized and aware of the
increasing needs in globalization. Though, teaching and learning English in most
of Indonesian schools are not really good yet. Involving creativity and
tackling down the structured and planned way of thinking is the solutions
offered not only for solving the problem of English improvement, but also
minimize the growing-on habit of Indonesian’s obedience.
Keywords: English, creativity, structured
way of thinking, teaching, learning, teachers, students
People have been living in the box for so long. People follow the
limitation of the thing which they always call as freedom. Getting out from the
box of limitation is not an easy way. People sometimes need to break the rules,
crack the conservative and patterned shell, and start to invent something new
and unique but meaningful. The box of thinking—which everybody always call that
term—is the way how people see things; it is their perspective; it is about how
they think. Having the ordinary box of thinking is not enough; people need to
invent something new in order to fulfill their needs along with the clock
ticking away. Creativity is the solution to get out from the ordinary box of
thinking. But in English teaching and learning activity (especially in
Indonesian schools), creativity application have to be beyond of creating an
interesting classroom activities. But as the time passing by, the fact shows
that involving creativity in teaching-learning English is mostly around what
the schools already have. It is not surprising because people live in the years
of norm-referenced, where every creative thing seems has to be in the box of
limitation. In years, teachers and students are standardized and they are
trapped in the same pattern of thinking, where there is no creativity
involvement in teaching and learning activity.
Talking about creativity, people will see this word differently and the
term creative seems to be very difficult to define because it is abstract and
too broad. It is because creativity is complex and it involves many aspects. When
people are asked about what comes up into their mind when hearing the word
creative and creativity, they will probably say that creativity is such amazing
gift to create something unique and meaningful. Perhaps, when it is translated
into a drawing, there will be a turned-on bulb which begins to shine brightly. Because
of this word is that great for people, creativity is then viewed as the magic
word that can turn around an organization, company, division, or department
(VanGundy, 2005).
People sometimes
define creativity as the term which is a little bit closer to freedom. Though
the bare definition is so cliché, but it is not that wrong. Creativity is
looked as the way, the skill, and circumstances where people can do anything in
order to break the rules of patterned way of life, the structured and
norm-referenced things, or the things done by others. The term free is there for
creative people who are in the free condition to invent something new because
of being motivated by the unsatisfying result; so that people begin to think
more creatively day by day. People also think that creativity is in the same
line with madness. Stephen Winsten (as stated by Lefrancois, 2000) said that
“the matter-of-fact man prefer to think of the creative man as defective, or at
least akin to madness.” People sometimes think that creative people are the
ones who are prone to emotional disorders (Bowden, 1994) because they are
sometimes eccentric, radicals, or fools. But that is not always like that.
As stated in a quotation by George Lois, creativity can
solve almost any problem; the creative act, the defeat of habit by originality,
overcomes everything. Also supported by Beyer (1989), creative thinking is carried on by violating
accepted principles. This creative thinking will stimulate the different way of
thinking and viewing something, or which is always called thinking outside of
the box.
But Torrance (1966) (as stated by Baker et al.)
defined creativity as:
A
process of becoming sensitive to a problem, deficiencies, gaps in knowledge,
missing elements, disharmonies, and so on; identifying the difficulty;
searching for solutions, making guesses, or formulating hypothesis about these
deficiencies; testing and retesting these hypotheses and possibly modifying and
retesting them; and finally communicating the results.
Now the term
creativity begins to be more obvious. The real problem is not which definition
is appropriate, but the application of creativity itself. In the world of
teaching and learning activity in schools, creativity is always and absolutely
needed. The needs of students become one of the many reasons why a teacher is
expected to involve creativity. The needs to get knowledge are also one of many
reasons why a student has to be creative in learning. They all have to be the
ones who think outside of the structured and patterned box.
English has been
the International language and is used around the world. Even though speaking
English in Indonesian is not really important (because Indonesians speak their
first language), but the ability in using English orally and in written form becomes
the plus point for most of Indonesians. Globalization also impacts the needs of
learning English; the cultural walls between countries in the world begin
thinner and thinner, even almost disappeared, so that learning English becomes
one of the needs of today’s life.
But teaching and
learning English in Indonesia is still colored by the same activities of
improving reading and speaking skills—though writing and listening is also
regarded as important. But teachers still believe that communication is the
main goal. They emphasize the classroom activities as the means to make
students are able to speak in English. In addition, the teachers’ competence
and performance in most of Indonesian schools are not that good. The teaching activity
is sometimes still underlain by their profession. They teach students because
they need that profession—though the case is not for all teachers. Lack of good
competence and performance can be also affected by their environments where
there is no sufficient English practice—and perhaps, English is not facilitated
at all. This lacking condition can be from the teachers themselves. It is
inevitable that many of them do not love English very much, but they have to
teach English to students. Indeed, this condition will impact the lack of
creativity in teaching.
In learning
English, students have many problems which block them improving their
competence and performance, which will decrease their creativity in learning English
as the ending. Their learning style is also affected by their environments,
desire, needs, and practice. Many Indonesian students also think that English
is only the subject. This becomes one of the reasons of why they do not have to
study English deeper. On the other hand, English is always viewed as
“something” great and trendy; students sometimes want to learn English because
they only need that great-and-trendy label. In fact, Indonesian students who
can perform better in English mostly take the extra courses beside their
English classes in schools.
Many questions
will be drawn here. If excellent English students are the “output” of extra
courses, so why schools cannot produce that way? What is the real cause of all
these cases? In what way the cases affect creativity in teaching and learning
activity? What solutions can be offered to this case? All of these questions
will be explained as follow.
In order to get
a better understanding in solving those cases, the English teacher of one of a
private school in Yogyakarta had been
interviewed. The teacher’s name is Yulita Mulyani, S.Pd. She has been learning English
for twenty years, and now she spends most of her time in teaching English in
private schools and teaching English for foreigners’ little children who are entrusted
in kids’ center because the parents work.
According to her
opinion, most of Indonesian schools are regrettably not good yet in teaching
and learning English, including the Indonesian International-Standard Schools
are not satisfying enough in teaching the students. But she said that the
better ones are the international schools, for example is YIS (Yogyakarta
International School), because the teachers are already the EFL ones who are
from outside of Indonesia who work in Indonesia as expatriates, and they communicate
through their first language, English. She also explained that the difficulties
or the problems of teaching English to Indonesian students are indeed varied. She
divided the problems of teaching and learning activity into two levels: young
learners and adult learners. In young learners level, the problem lies in the
lack of teaching-learning time or meeting, the English subject itself, and the
curriculum. In basic-level students, English sometimes are not taught in
schools, and the meeting is so little, so that students do not have enough time
to get more knowledge. The curriculum was also the problem because teachers
sometimes have to play their creativity in teaching students based on the
curriculum, and make more than one alternative activities. But for adult
learners, the problem is the background of English is not sufficient (even do
not have one at all), and the bad prerequisite. Therefore, teachers have to
teach the students more clearly and teachers sometimes have to repeat the
materials.
But then she
gave the solutions for those problems. She suggested for all schools to have
teachers who are the English graduated, love English, and love studying
English. Teachers have to have a desire and own will to improve their English.
They can keep practicing of speaking English with the students, or going abroad
to have the real feel of practicing English. Though the last point is not an
obligatory, because it is so expensive, and not all Indonesian teachers are
capable to go abroad.
And then, after
getting a glimpse of the English teaching-learning activity condition in
Indonesian schools—which those also become the background of the lacking
condition of creativity—the interview was rolled to the main issue: creativity
and thinking. She defined thinking as the activity which involves the parts of
brain in terms of accepting, analyzing, synthesizing, formulating data, and
solving problems. Ms. Yulita said that remembering also belongs to thinking.
Touching on the
topic of thinking outside of the box, she explained that today youngsters
always think that they have been thinking outside of the box as showed by their
rebel traits. But they actually do not. People who can think outside of the box
are only the ones who are brave enough to take risks in anything they take and create,
so that it is not easy to do it. As the example, when somebody wants to write
creatively based on his own writing style, he may disobey the structured rules
of writing or the diction, but as the consequence, he will get the score
reduced.
Actually it is
not easy to find out the reason why people sometimes think in the limitation of
structured and patterned way. But she suggested the probable reason which is
regarded as the closest probability to the real context of Indonesian nowadays.
It is because Indonesian is the patrilineal society. They often see things by
seeing the samples first; they see things which have been done by others. They
are accustomed to be obedient since the era of colonialism. They have to obey
the rules in anywhere they are, in home or even in schools. Indonesian has been
following the norm and custom. Therefore, it indirectly builds the traits of
obedience which is extremely difficult to be banished. The tough, challenging
solutions to do is to build the generation of breaking this growing-on habit by
being realized and being together in the creative community which can
influences the other communities. A sample of this community is Komunitas
Belajar which was hold by beginning with brilliant people who joined together
in the same community, being in a process, and influences others to do
so—because Indonesian will do something new by looking at the samples first. Although
it is difficult to do, there will be the time of evolution in thinking.
Still according
to Ms. Yulita, creativity defines as the skill to view things in many way and
perspectives in creating, inventing, and solving problems not by following the
already tradition. As a teacher, she has understood the winding road of
teaching students. She said that all teachers definitely have their own
creative activity, and they have thousand alternative ways to teach the
students, but the problem is that the ways do not always work well. She also believed
that the only thing to make students more creative is teachers have to be
initiatively creative.
Now the understanding
of creativity and thinking outside of the box begins to be more crystal clear. In
order to improve creativity in English teaching and learning activity in
school, it is better to look slightly deeper what really becomes the barrier of
generating and enhancing creativity. Actually what blocks the creativity is not
only traditions, the growing-on habits, customs, norm, and structured way of
thinking—as explained earlier. There are many reasons, though. Creativity,
indeed, are the gift for all humans. But as the years go by, creativity
sometimes hide or block under the environments and socialization. Many adults
sigh that they are not as creative as they were in pre-school moments. When
being adults, their creativity seems belittled because they have already had
the abstract thinking. So by adulthood, the average adults’ creative ability is
covered by several levels of shielding and a mind-set that prevents creativity
from showing itself (Downing, 1997).
There are many
things which people can do to call and make creativity shows from its hidden
shield. But people do not have to recall everything to think creatively. But in
teaching-learning English, creativity can be enhanced if teachers are the ones
who have to start teaching and creating activities creatively. Remember what
has been explained by Ms. Yulita, to make students more creative, teachers have
to be initiatively creative. Teachers could not expect students to be creative
if they themselves are not creative in the classroom. After that, students will
be creative likewise. Though, the only thing to be creative is to tackle down
the structured, patterned, ordinary way of thinking.
The first thing
to teach creatively is understanding that teaching is an art. In art, there is
no limited one line; instead, there will be many lines in a unit. This proverb
may be related to the creative teaching. This creative term perhaps will be
identical with the ability of teachers to be as entertaining as possible and
involving many artistic works in order to gain students’ attraction and attention.
Assuredly, it is not obligatory and teachers do not have to be like that in
front of the class, but it is sufficient to have students engaged productively
in the materials learned. In a nutshell, teaching with art means that providing
and facilitating students with useful materials for learning which is never
been invented by others. The very thought of doing something different can be
terrifying. Yet, creative thinking frequently requires we do just that
(VanGundy, 2005).
Teachers also
have to have a better competence and performance. It is not enough to love
English for teaching English, and it is not enough to have graduated from
English education department, or even have lived and taught English in western
countries for many years. Think outside of the box! Teaching English for
students is beyond of those requirements. Teaching English for students need an
ability, skill, and competence. Teachers have to understand the materials
before they teach them to students. In a process of teaching, then teachers’
performance matters. Creativity plays its role when teachers need to translate
their competence into good and interesting performance. Sometimes brilliant
teachers have a difficulty in conveying what they want students understand from
the material they are teaching. It is not creative. That is why competence and
performance can be related to creative teaching.
Good competence and
interesting performance are not an innate skill. Having good competence takes
time, practices, and experiences. Reading books, writing essays are not the
only way to enhance competence, but being globalized to the things related to
education (as the scope) and also the world. There are many things to learn
from the world, which can initiate the creativity for teaching in the classroom.
For
the creative practitioner is the teacher who does not wait for the next book to
come out to extend their repertoire, but takes what they know and combines
ideas together to meet the challenges of the classroom environment; that
teacher is inventive, inquisitive, and learns from the highs and the lows along
the way (Best, B. & W. Thomas, 2008).
Combining
ideas in teaching English can begin with the positive thinking to the new
things. Thinking positively will influence well in mind and response. People tend
to be very suspicious and cynical to inventions of things as if the inventions
bring harms, but it happens because of lack of knowledge. Every time hearing
new idea, try not to prejudge it, but train yourself to think or say “what’s
good about it?” (Best, B. & W. Thomas, 2008) In addition, think positively
will stimulate a better idea. It is also one of the applications of thinking
outside of the box which stimulate creativity. As the application, try to view
English as not the only profession which has to be taken, but as the means for
learning. Students need to be taught creatively, and as a teacher, it is
obligatory to make them understand about the material. Students have a need to
learn which have to be fulfilled.
If
teachers have tried to be as creative as they can, students will be influenced
in the same way. Since the pattern of Indonesian society is patrilineal, mimicking
and imitating will be the background of why teachers have to be initially and
initiatively creative. Indonesian learns by samples. Therefore, giving good
samples in teaching and learning, and also attitude, will indirectly solve the
problem of Indonesian’s growing-on habit to act and think inside of the box.
Students
can also learn creatively in schools and also in home. Learning creatively is
not the ordinary learning which is
always done by common students. Many creative students find out that they want
to be different in one case. They do not accept the ordinary things in learning.
They will think about many how to create things which makes them interesting in
learning, but meaningful for them. For example, they will create a unique and
more interesting speaking presentation such as presenting a brief drama with
live melancholy music, rather than using power point presentation. Unfortunately,
highly creative students but less intelligent are most frustrated with schools
and that highly intelligent but less creative students are addicted to school
and well liked by their teachers (Wallach & Kogan, 1965, as stated by
Lefrancois, 2000).
As Getzels and Jacksons (1962) (as stated by
Lefrancois, 2000) found out here that creative students were not necessarily
the most intelligent—although sometimes they achieved as well as in school as
those who were more intelligent and interestingly the highly creative students
were not as well liked by the teachers.
Being
a creative student in learning English can be done by first recognizing the learning
style. There are some types of learners such as visual, audio, and kinesthetic,
and also the combination of those types. By recognizing the type of learner a student
belongs to will easily recognize the learning style. Students can improve
creativity by developing their learning style. As the example, visual learners
who are given homework of lists of vegetables, fruits, and spices, and they are
asked to recognize them in the upcoming meeting, can go to the supermarket, and
see the realia of vegetables, fruits, and spices, instead of browsing on the
internet. Moreover, they can touch the realia which gives them more emotional
attachment.
Being
globalized and thinking outside of the box are still needed for every student
to be creative in learning English. Today generations, and of course today
learners, are surrounded by globalization and the role of technology. As
everybody knows, English has been the International language for all over the
world. In the beginning, it has been explained that mastering English will be
the plus point for Indonesian, so that being globalized and being aware of the
increasing number of needs in today’s life will matter most for students. Thinking
outside of the box is needed for viewing everything clearer and to help students
learn English better. Being creative with the expansion of technology, and be
wise in filtering the technology flow in learning will also do students good.
Everything
has many sides; people nowadays are expected to think in many perspectives, or
thinking outside of the box and involve creativity in every aspect of life,
including teaching and learning English. These activities of teaching and learning in
Indonesia inevitably still have problems and obstacles that can be blocks to
improve English. As the conclusion, Involving creativity and tackling down the
structured and planned way of thinking is the solutions offered not only for
solving the problem of English improvement, but also minimize the growing-on
habit of Indonesian’s obedience.
***
Reference:
Baker,
M. et al.Relationship Between Critical
and Creative Thinking (an essay)
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Libraries
Lefrancois, G.R.(2000).Psychology in Teaching (10th ed.).Belmont:
Wadsword/Thomson Learning
VanGundy, A.(2005).101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving.San
Fransisco: John Wiley & Sons
Wegerif, R.(2010).Mind Expanding: Teaching for Thinking and Creativity in Primary
Education.England: McGraw Hill
