As defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, rules are “one of a set of explicit or understood regulations or principles governing conduct or procedure within a particular area of activity.”

Makes sense.

Rules have a great purpose.

1. They keep us safe. We have rules for driving and bike riding in hopes of preventing accidents.
2. They give us guidelines so we are all on the same page. We have rules for how to play games and how behave in specific social engagements.
3. They provide a sense of security. We have rules for curfews and bedtimes (they might not be liked at the time but actually are a benefit).

In essence, rules turn chaos into order. But, what happens when we impose TOO many rules? And taking that one step further, how does that affect education?

How Too Many Rules Can Stifle Creativity & Curiosity in Children

Being an elementary school art teacher affords me the opportunity to look at these two questions in a few unique ways.

In one way, I am privileged (and honestly blessed) to see 800 students from different backgrounds, with various stories, learning styles, academic abilities and wildly unique personalities. But recently, as I have been observing them in the art room for a mere 30 minutes every 8 days, I am noticing something disheartening…they lack creativity and curiosity. They have been with their classroom teacher all day following a multitude of rules: how to behave in class, how to behave in the hallway, how to behave in the lunchroom, how to behave at dismissal…. the list goes on and on but I think we all get the picture. They are told not to do this, not to do that, not to say this, not to say that and before you know it they are living, breathing, walking robots, programmed to act and be a specific way “because we said so.”

So, when students first enter the art room they are unable to access the part of their brain that is flowing with creativity and curiosity. I pretty much throw most of the rules out the window (except for the art rules to keep us safe of course) and they almost don’t know what to do next. “What do you mean I can have choices in how I add color to my project?” “That’s not possible Miss L, a flower would never be rainbow colored.”

But as the period passes by and I continue to throw “what if’s”, “how comes” and out-of-the-box ideas at them, all the sudden magic happens! They become alive! They become curious! They become creative little geniuses that astound me. From telling me Piet Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie-Woogie looks like a pixelated coding screen, to connecting the moral of a book we read in class, to a movie they saw over the weekend, I realize that when the reins of the rules are loosened making room for creativity and curiosity, learning occurs at an exponential rate. And then, BZZZZZZZ, the alarm goes off and it’s time to go. Line up. Voices off. Back to robot child.

And Teachers Are Experiencing Stifled Creativity As Well

In a second way, I am privileged to cover another teacher’s class on PLC (Professional Learning Community) days. So, in the course of two weeks, I end up covering a class at every grade level while these 90-minute planning meetings go on. I get an inside look at what goes on within these rooms where learning occurs. (As a side note, I may have a Masters of Art Education but I also have a bachelors in science as well as math and am certified to teach both. I have let all my teachers know I am happy to teach those topics. However, art is my gift from the powers that be and where I get to merge all the subjects…even though the kids have no clue.)

So where was I, ah yes…Lesson plans are kindly left on the desk, and as I read over them to see what we are doing for the time at hand I think “WHAT?!?!?! Seriously?!?!?! You have got to be kidding me!” Not only have the students’ creativity and curiosity been stifled by too many rules, but so TOO have the teachers. Math Worksheets. Silent reading. Complete the writing assignment on the computer. Where is the fun? Where is the excitement? Teachers have been imposed with so many extra rules, meet the curriculum, data, data, and more data, document this, write a plan for that, fill out this form, don’t pass go, don’t collect two hundred dollars (oh wait, that’s Monopoly) that they have lost their creative spark and curious inner child as well!!

When Too Many Rules Do More Harm Than Good

I hope at this point you see the issue at hand. Yes, rules are necessary. But when too many are imposed upon us our creative and curious brains shut down. Why is it that our best ideas come while we are in the shower? Or about to doze off into dreamland? Because the “rule-reins” have been loosened enough for us to dream. Our brains can think of all the “what ifs” and “how comes”. Our brains can question the unknown and think of radical ideas because they have room to breathe. I will ponder black holes until I’m blue in the face, toil with the idea that I only get to experience life on this earth through my perspective, why idioms make absolutely no sense in the English language as a sentence (“sick as a dog” “sleep like a baby” “sweating bullets”) only to google and find out the story behind them, or I’ll be hit with a radical art idea to teach a math concept the kids in 4th grade can’t grasp.

I’m not sure if some of us are born with an extra dose of creativity and curiosity (I have plenty to share if you need some) or if some of us just never out-grow the “why” stage of a two- year old. I love the quote by Twyla Tharp:

“Creativity is an act of defiance.”

By being creative, you’re challenging the status quo. You’re questioning accepted truths and principles. You’re asking three universal questions that mock conventional wisdom: “Why do I have to obey the rules?” Why can’t I be different?” “Why can’t I do it my way?”

I do know from my observations that both creativity and curiosity are DEFINITELY stifled by TOO many rules. If we want to create lifelong learners as well as life long educators we might want to think about loosening the “rule-reins” just a bit. As Bill Veeck said, “I try not to break the rules but merely to test their elasticity.”

So we must ask ourselves: How can we loosen the reins and allow both educators and students to harness the power held in the precious gifts of creativity and curiosity?

This post was written by P&P Contributor, Kate Lindquist.

Kate is an elementary art teacher in West Palm Beach, Florida who received her bachelors in Science and my master’s in Art Education, which has afforded her the opportunity to use art as a means to further enhance what is learning in the academic classroom. According to Kate, “Life has brought me on quite a unique journey with many hardships and am ready to share my story, wisdom, and insight with the world.”

You can connect with Kate on Twitter and Instagram.