Yasmin started her art career through television art programmes for art enthusiasts in India. She has over 20 years of experience in Art, 15 of which she has spent teaching Art to various age groups. She is experienced in teaching PYP, MYP Art, ICSE Art, IGCSE Art & Design, Singapore MOE Art & PAL Visual Arts (Programme for Active Learning Visual arts). She believes in experimental learning by incorporating different art forms and techniques to widen one's art knowledge and skills.
Yasmin is a Postgraduate in Resource Management with Early childhood education experience. She holds a Cambridge Accreditation for IGCSE Art & Design and Cambridge International Diploma for Teachers & Trainers from CIE. She is also certified in Educational Studies from The College of Teachers, UK and is a trained professional in Portrait drawing & Western Art from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore.
Yasmin strikes a balance with traditional and digital art as she firmly believes that both these art forms are interrelated. She was privileged to be nominated for the prestigious President's Design Award 2012 and was blessed to share her school publication design works with the then Hon'ble President of Singapore Mr Tony Tan Keng Yam.
Yasmin believes OWIS’ strong commitment to its art programme is a perfect fit to unleash one’s aesthetic and creative expressions. She trains students to be expressive through art as it is a reflection of them and their technical skills are strengthened from the foundation level.
As far as her learning approach towards art is concerned, Yasmin is convinced that "Art is a process, not a product!"
One of the largest misconceptions about creativity is that most people think of it as a skill. However, creativity is not something that your child either has or doesn't have. It is a method of operating or a way of thinking. Your child may already be creative or can become a creative child, regardless of where their academic strengths or personal interests lie. The key is allowing your child to be immersed in an environment where their creativity is nurtured rather than stifled.
Creativity can be defined as the ability to make something new and valuable by utilising concepts, ideas, experiences or imagination. In order to become creative, your child has to have opportunities for the same. Unfortunately, if your child is in a classroom that focuses on a highly structured approach to learning activities, your child may not have as many opportunities to be creative as you would like.
It is vital to select a school that will offer your child the opportunity to enjoy different learning experiences in a safe environment where they can make mistakes, take risks and develop their confidence. In this setting, your child's creativity will be able to grow.
British author and teacher Sir Ken Robinson gave a TED talk titled "Do schools kill creativity?" In the video, Robinson argued that schools are too structured and that the way that lessons are presented inadvertently deny children the opportunity to think creatively and solve their own problems. It became one of the most-watched TED talks of all time.
While school leaders, administrators and teachers may not demote creativity purposefully, there may be situations in the classroom that kill creativity inadvertently. Research shows the links between creativity and learning, and a few ways that creativity among students is curbed:
In some cases, creativity is stifled in the classroom due to the methods that are being employed in that specific room. Depending on the method and reward system that is in place, students may not feel motivated to think outside the box. In other cases, creativity is stifled because students are not given the opportunity to take risks, or a child may feel too nervous about sharing their creative thoughts or be wary of the criticism that they may face.
While schools have to be careful to avoid stifling creativity, there are many ways that teachers can encourage creativity in the classroom setting, including:
At OWIS, we actively work to develop a creative environment. These are a few of the steps that our administrators and teachers take to ensure that your child can express themselves, try new things and offer up innovative ideas:
Radek P., father of a primary student at OWIS, says, "We really like the IB-PYP curriculum offered and the fact that the school encourages creativity in students. My daughter's feedback from the first day was extremely positive, and she said that her teacher is great!"
At OWIS, we encourage students to think creatively at every stage of their learning journey. Creativity plays an essential role in problem-solving, regardless of the situation, which is why our teachers strive to help students develop this trait. The creative abilities that your child develops during their school years will help them in their future career and life.
To learn more about the Early Childhood and Primary Years Programme at OWIS, contact us today to schedule a virtual tour.
Please note: The picture of OWIS students in this blog was taken in pre-Covid times.
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