Nurturing talent

CREATIVE CHILDREN usually posses strong creative needs, their interests are unexplainable and are naturally deeply hidden in them. These children are inquisitive in questioning, show interest in explaining things of fancy and test novel ideas that strike them. They do not accept ideas without questioning and verifying.

Creative children in most schools in India feel neglected. Many children are unable to withstand pressure from parents and teachers, to be like other children in school. Parents, in particular, want their children to fare well in studies, secure good marks and grades. In these days of competition they force them to get along with the school work and prevent these children in using their creative abilities. We often hear from the parents of gifted children that they would be happy to see their children being the normal achieving children. Even the teachers in the schools admit that their aim is to reduce variations among their children in the classroom.

Creative children look to the school and teachers for guidance and encouragement. Teachers should feel that creative children are of great value and they can become assets of the institutions. Creativity is the ability which is most valued in all societies. It appears that constant encouragement given by the schools helped these children in exhibiting their inborn abilities and skills.

The creative child's hidden talent can be identified from an early age itself. His choice of friends, hobbies, activities and dresses exhibits his/her inborn abilities. Creative and gifted children could master fundamental skills even with minimum level of training and they need help in understanding their strengths. These children believe that they are pursuing what they presume to be really worthwhile. If there is a teacher who can play the positive role of a facilitator, to kindle the creativity at an early age, wonderful results can be achieved. The school environment provides positive stimulus in exciting the creativity among these children.

The school councillor (if any) may also help the parents to orient their attitudes towards these children. No doubt the curious questioning of these children is very inconvenient to the parent. Now-a days many parents do intentionally prevent these children to learn on their own. One of the dominant personality traits among the creative children is independence. Independence in doing what they believe. These children possess the skill to improvisation and are always open to new experiences. These creative children are not able to make something out of nothing. Act of creation involves a reshaping of a given material, either physically or mentally.

A non-authoritarian, preferably pervasive, stimulating, school environment is a positive input in nurturing creativity. Teachers must set challenging tasks and encourage pupils towards working for unusual solutions. Guiding children systematically to test new ideas is also very essential. Teachers should encourage the acquisition of new knowledge from diversified areas to develop constructive criticism.

In these days of scientific, technological advancement and information technology, they may definitely feel that creative pupils do have scope for creative use of their abilities. If the creative child is to maintain his/her creativity and continues to grow, he/she would need help in understanding and accepting his divergence by parents and teachers.

V. RANGACHARLU

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