Creativity and Learning in Secondary English: Teaching for a creative classroom

Creativity is at the heart of English teaching. But what exactly is creativity and how does it relate to English? Creativity is central to any discussion of English teaching and firmly embedded within the curriculum, yet its exact nature remains loosely defined. This book repositions the terms in which creativity is discussed in relation to English teaching and argues that creativity is a participative and social process open to all students that can be activitated through careful structuring of lessons rather than simply through the teacher 'being creative'. Drawing on current theories of dialogic learning and classroom talk, the book explores the possibilities brought into being when creativity is seen as a social process. It then provides practical guidance on how to these practices can be incorporated into various aspects of the English curriculum focusing on the centrality of meaning-making and the concept of re-creativity. With examples of real classroom practice, case studies and strategies for teachers to implement, the book suggests exciting ways to enable creativity in the English classroom including: creating sound-scapes for poems, with a focus on the meaning of the whole text using re-creative writing in order to engage critically with a literary text Exploring the processes involved in various media productions, including developing adverts and producing a music video developing a marketing campaign for the text they have chosen re-creating aspects of novels in different media using exploratory talk to generate critical creativity This thought-provoking textbook draws on current best practice in English teaching and will equip trainee and practising teaching with a wide range of stategies that will lead to greater creativity - and by extension learning - in the classroom.