Creativity beyond sight

“Most people see what is, and never see what can be.”
Albert Einstein

In the book, Creativity 101 by James C. Kaufman, he explains different levels of creativity that people can have. Of the four levels, one of them is called "mini-c" which is your beginning level of creativity. In the classroom, children normally present this "mini-c" level of creativity, yet if their expressions are put forth in a way that is interpreted as distracting or not useful, it is often discouraged. Because creativity may develop out of context, the classroom should be an environment or domain that welcomes creative thoughts and expressions. Children should never be discouraged from presenting ideas, even if they appear bizarre because discouraging creativity may alter the expression of children. It can never be determined whether or not a child's idea may later become a new invention or a new approach to art, music, singing, etc. so these "mini-c" moments need to be credited. When there is time permitting during the day, in between lessons or during recess or snack, children should be encouraged to explore their thoughts and let them wander. During this time especially, teachers should allow children to have defocused attention, which might create these "mini-c" ideas.