Listen and Learn: Exploring the Connection Between Joy and Creative Teaching

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In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett kick off their Winter 2025 Listen and Learn Series with a deep dive into the role of joy in creative teaching. Drawing inspiration from their interview with Dr. Susan Keller-Mathers, the conversation explores how teachers can rekindle joy, overcome burnout, and design flexible, engaging learning experiences for their students.

Episode Highlights:

• Why joy is a key ingredient in creative teaching.
• Strategies for navigating burnout and reigniting passion for teaching.
• The importance of flexibility in lesson planning and adapting to challenges.
• Practical questions for professional learning communities (PLCs) to discuss and reflect on their practices.

Key Quote from Dr. Susan Keller-Mathers:
"Creative teaching is about your craft. It is about you as a teacher becoming more creative. And what that looks like is you are bringing more joy, more motivating activities, more curiosity to your own thinking about your lessons. It can lead a teacher on the path to burnout, to rejuvenating who they are and why they came into the profession."

Discussion Questions for PLCs:

• When have you experienced joy in your teaching, and what contributed to it?
• What barriers do you encounter that hinder joy in your classroom?
• How do you intentionally incorporate joy and creativity into your lessons?
• What strategies can you use to rekindle joy when burnout occurs?

Join the Conversation:
Don’t have a professional learning community? Join the Curiosity to Connect Network for webinars, lesson plans, and a supportive community of creative educators.

Eager to bring more creativity into your school district?

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