Deeper Thinking in the Classroom: A Conversation with Katie Trowbridge on Teaching Creativity

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In this special Listen and Learn episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, hosts Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood welcome back Katie Trowbridge, an educator with over 20 years of experience and the creator of the CREATE method. Katie discusses her newly released book, Deeper Thinking in the Classroom, which is designed to guide educators in weaving creative and critical thinking strategies into existing K-12 curricula. She emphasizes that creativity is not just for the arts—debunking the myth that it’s a classroom “add-on”—and showcases how curiosity forms the foundation of deeper thinking across all subjects. The CREATE method (Curiosity, Risk-taking, Experience, Attitude, Team building, and Evaluation) provides teachers with practical steps and a clear structure for nurturing student creativity and critical thinking.

Katie also talks about her companion book, aimed at helping teachers recognize and cultivate their own creativity both personally and professionally. The conversation highlights the importance of evaluating creativity in classrooms, not just through traditional rubrics, but by involving students in co-creating assessment criteria, fostering self-reflection, peer evaluation, and metacognitive skills. Practical tips and resources are shared, reinforcing the book’s hands-on approach, and connecting to topics discussed in previous episodes—making this episode a valuable resource for educators seeking to reinvigorate their teaching with strategies for deeper, measurable creative engagement.

Eager to bring more creativity into your school district?

Check out our sponsor Curiosity2Create.org and join their Creativity Network for Educators at Curiosity2Connect!

Check out our Podcast Website to dive deeper into Creativity in Education!

For more information on Creativity in Education, check out:

Matt's Website: Worwood Classroom

Cyndi's Website: Creativity and Education