Fueling Creativity in Education

How can educators make creativity a deliberate part of teaching, build stronger connections with students, and create school environments where new ideas can grow? In this second Season 13 debrief, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett revisit conversations with educators Greg McClure, Valencia Abbott, and school principal Dan Mault. Together, they reflect on how creativity shows up in everyda...

How can educators give students the freedom to solve problems creatively? And how can school leaders create an environment where teachers feel comfortable sharing and exploring new ideas? In this episode, educator, principal, and author Dan Mault shares his experiences coaching students through Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination. These programs challenge students to collaborate, desig...

What happens when students can see themselves and their own experiences in what they are learning? And how can teachers make history more relevant, meaningful, and connected to the world beyond the classroom? In this episode, award-winning history teacher Valencia Abbott shares how she brings creativity into her social studies classroom by connecting historical content to her students' interests,...

Can creativity thrive within a structured literacy classroom? Greg McClure, an elementary educator and literacy specialist, joins us to explore how teachers can bring creativity into reading instruction without treating it as an extra. Greg shares his experience moving toward the science of reading and explains how explicitly teaching literacy skills can work alongside creativity. Rather than choo...

What can neuroscience and neurodiversity teach us about creativity, and how can we create professional development experiences that are both meaningful and enjoyable? In this first debrief episode of Season 13, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett reflect on their recent conversations with Adam Green , Leonie Baldacchino , and Dr. Matt Zagreski . They revisit ideas about creativity, neuroscie...

Why do neurodivergent individuals often demonstrate remarkable creativity, and what can educators learn from the way their minds work? In this episode, Dr. Matt Zagreski explores the relationship between neurodiversity and creativity, explaining how differences in brain development and neural connections can influence the way people process information, make connections, and solve problems. The co...

When should we trust our gut? And how can intuition support creativity and decision-making in education? In this episode, Professor Leonie Baldacchino from the Edward de Bono Institute for Creative Thinking and Innovation discusses the connections between creativity, STEM, enjoyment, and wellbeing. She also shares insights from her research with secondary school students and the role of divergent...

What can neuroscience teach us about creativity? And as artificial intelligence changes how we create, do we need to rethink what we mean by creativity?   In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett welcome Dr. Adam Green, professor at Georgetown University and director of the Laboratory for Relational Cognition, for a conversation abou...

What happens when you combine a new season, a new academic year, and a recording location that has been on your bucket list for years? Season 13 of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast begins with a special introduction recorded from Mount Etna in Sicily, a place that has fascinated Dr. Matthew Worwood since childhood. The episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of recordi...

📘 Purchase Your Copy of  The Future Creative: 10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education What happens when we get so focused on getting through the day that we forget to enjoy it? In this final episode of the Summer 2026 Listen and Learn Series, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett explore the tenth and final action from The Future Creative: Enjoy the Ride. Teaching can sometimes feel li...

📘 Purchase Your Copy of  The Future Creative: 10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education What happens after a creative idea doesn't work? In this ninth episode of the Summer 2026 Listen and Learn Series, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett explore Action #9 from The Future Creative: Face the Feelings. Creativity always involves some level of uncertainty. When we try something new, there...

📘 Purchase Your Copy of  The Future Creative: 10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education   What if the most valuable creative resource in your classroom is something you already have? In this eighth episode of the Summer 2026 Listen and Learn Series, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett explore Action #8 from The Future Creative: Maximize the Environment. The episode begins with a simple...

📘 Purchase Your Copy of  The Future Creative: 10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education 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 oft...

📘 Purchase Your Copy of  The Future Creative: 10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education   What do your students learn when things don't go according to plan? In this sixth episode of the Summer 2026 Listen and Learn Series, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett explore Action #6 from The Future Creative: Model Creative Behavior. The episode begins with a personal story about a classroom...

📘 Purchase Your Copy of  The Future Creative: 10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education How many people in your school would describe themselves as creative? For many people, the answer is "not really." They picture artists, musicians, or famous inventors, while overlooking the creativity they use every day to solve problems, adapt to challenges, and connect ideas. In this fifth episode of t...

📘 Purchase Your Copy of  The Future Creative: 10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education What if the most powerful tool for creativity isn't having the right answers, but asking better questions? In this third episode of the Summer 2026 Listen and Learn Series, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett explore Action #3 from The Future Creative: Ask Questions. The episode begins with a simple...

📘 Purchase Your Copy of  The Future Creative: 10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education What makes someone feel safe enough to share a new idea? In this fourth episode of the Summer 2026 Listen and Learn Series, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood explore one of the most important actions for nurturing creativity in education: Build Relationships. Whether you're a first-year teacher lo...

📘 Purchase Your Copy of The Future Creative: 10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education If we say creativity matters, are we teaching it with the same intention we bring to literacy, mathematics, and other core subjects? Or are we assuming it will simply emerge on its own? In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast Listen and Learn Summer Series, Dr. Matthew Worwood introd...

📘 Purchase Your Copy of The Future Creative: 10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education How often do we shut down an idea before it has a chance to develop? And what opportunities might we miss when we judge ideas too quickly? In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast Listen and Learn Summer Series, Dr. Cyndi Burnett introduces the second action from The Future Creative:...

What happens when we give ourselves permission to slow down? And how might moments of rest, reflection, and play help fuel our creativity for the year ahead? In this special summer episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett reflect on the end of another school year and share their plans for disconnecting, recharging, and reconnecting with the...

How is artificial intelligence changing the way we think about creativity and learning? And what can movies teach us about the creative process, healing, and human expression? In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett welcome back Dr. James Kaufman, one of the leading scholars in creativity research, for a wide-ranging conversation ab...

What helps students build creative confidence over time? And how do mastery, feedback, and communication shape the way students learn, create, and see themselves in the classroom? In this final reflection episode of Season 12 of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett welcome back resident scholar Jimmy Wilson to revisit key themes from the season thr...

What if some of the most powerful tools for engagement are already part of students’ everyday lives? And what happens when educators use games, music, and social media with more intention in the learning process? In this final debrief episode of Season 12 of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett revisit three conversations that challenged the way th...

What happens when teaching becomes storytelling, performance, and creative expression all at once? And how can educators use social media with purpose instead of simply chasing attention online? In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett welcome Dr. Raven Baxter, also known as Dr. Raven the Science Maven , to explore the intersection o...

Who are the creative students in your classroom? And how might your definition of creativity be shaping who you notice and who you overlook? In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett welcome Dr. Gerard Puccio and Cheri Sterman to explore a new way of understanding creativity through the Crayola Creative Styles Tool . Listen in as the...