10 Actions for Fueling Creativity: Spot Creative Potential

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What if the student who challenges you the most is also the one with the greatest creative potential?

In this seventh episode of the Summer 2026 Listen and Learn Series, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett explore Action #7 from The Future Creative: Spot Creative Potential.

Creative potential is often easy to miss because it doesn't always look the way we expect. It may not be the student with the highest grades or the one who always follows the rules. Instead, it might be the student who asks unexpected questions, challenges assumptions, experiments with new ideas, or approaches problems differently from everyone else.

Drawing on insights from creativity researchers Mark Runco and Todd Lubart, this episode explores why educators should look beyond finished work and begin noticing the early signs of creativity. Matthew introduces the image of an acorn, reminding us that every student has hidden potential waiting for the right conditions to grow. The role of an educator is not to create that potential, but to recognize it and help it develop.

The episode also encourages teachers to broaden the opportunities they provide for students to demonstrate creativity. Open-ended challenges and student choice often reveal strengths that traditional assignments and single-answer assessments can overlook. When every student has the chance to approach a task in their own way, creativity becomes easier to recognize.

Most importantly, this episode reminds us that one conversation, one opportunity, or one teacher who chooses to look a little closer can make all the difference in helping a student discover their creative potential.

 

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