The Routine Trap
Schools often rely on structured routines for three main reasons: they facilitate standardization, simplify tasks for educators and administrators, and provide students with a sense of security. While these reasons are valid, the excessive reliance on routine can stifle creativity.
Picture our minds on a seesaw of surprise. On one end, there’s an overload of surprises that causes anxiety; on the opposite end, too little surprise leads to boredom, which can elevate cortisol levels and negatively affect learning, focus, and memory. To engage effectively, we need to strike a balance. While we’ve mastered the routine aspect in education, it’s essential to embrace the element of surprise.
Research indicates that surprise is crucial for learning. Unexpected information captures our attention, amplifies our emotional responses by about 400%, broadens our mental frameworks, and encourages discussions about our discoveries. Even infants are natural explorers when faced with surprises, eagerly absorbing information to understand their world. Surprises enhance the learning experience, making it more vibrant, fulfilling, and creative by forging new neural connections.
So, how can we introduce surprise in educational settings, whether in classrooms or at home? Here are some ideas:
- Pose thought-provoking questions: “What do you think makes rainbows appear? Why do you think famous leaders had certain dreams?”
- Revamp conventional assignments: “Imagine if a famous singer and an actress had a food fight. If one throws a piece of food moving at a speed of 2 ft/hr for 8 feet, how long does the other have to dodge it?”
- Create an element of mystery: “Today, we’re trying something completely new, but I’ll keep it a secret for now!”
- Turn concepts into interactive games: Use activities like broken telephone to illustrate communication pathways in the brain.
- Engage with the world outside: Write letters, meet new people, or revisit the excitement of field trips—adventures can happen anytime!
In essence, break the monotony. If our brains predict everything that will happen next, there’s little motivation to remain alert and engaged.
Fostering Ambiguity Tolerance
Another significant gap in education is the lack of emphasis on developing a tolerance for ambiguity. We excel at teaching knowledge but often neglect to teach the value of uncertainty—how to wonder, ponder, and accept that not every question has a definitive answer.
This is evident in the college students I once taught; they would arrive anxious about their future career paths after years of being guided. Rather than seeing themselves as explorers, they felt like failures due to their indecision.
One effective teaching method from Hawaii encourages students to sit with their questions for an entire day before seeking answers. This practice nurtures a comfort with uncertainty and an appreciation for doubt.
Encouraging exploration and questioning is vital. Here are some effective strategies:
- Promote daydreaming as a valuable cognitive tool; consider replacing a traditional quiet time with a family daydreaming session.
- Ask open-ended questions without right answers: “What do you think is the secret to happiness? What are the joys of being human?”
- Respond to your child’s questions with more questions: “What’s your take on that?”
- Invite diverse friends over or visit their homes for cultural exchange.
- Create art together without templates or instructions, allowing for free expression.
I’m not advocating for the complete elimination of structure and order in schools; instead, I believe educational environments should be as captivating as a thrilling book or an engaging video game. The reason we keep turning pages or playing games—despite their challenges—is due to their effective use of surprise, striking the perfect balance on that surprise seesaw.
Like compelling stories and immersive games, education should feel less like a confinement and more like an exciting adventure.
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Summary
Educational systems often prioritize routine at the expense of creativity, leading to boredom and anxiety. To foster engagement, it’s essential to introduce elements of surprise and ambiguity tolerance in learning environments. Encouraging open-ended questions, interactive assignments, and experiential learning can help children thrive creatively and develop resilience in the face of uncertainty.