Abstract

DEL VALLE-NUNEZ, Andrea. Using Expressiveness and Creativity to Improve Human Relations: Reflections from the Teaching Practice. Educare [online]. 2015, vol.19, n.1, pp.147-166. ISSN 1409-4258.

This action research project proposes the following question: How can expressiveness be strengthened as an act of creativity in everyday relationships within classroom dynamics? This question was inspired by my everyday teaching practice as a preschool teacher of 5 and 6 year-old boys and girls during the 2012 school year, focusing on the development of expressiveness and creativity. The research study was based on the naturalistic paradigm, which seeks an integral development, used a qualitative methodology to grasp reality, and was developed in three phases: diagnosis, approach and transformation. Information was collected from recordings. As a teacher-researcher, I consider reality and the participants’ knowledge, points of view and individual qualities as a starting point. In addition, I explore, analyze and give timely solutions to the situations that arise every day, based on the interests, needs, and distinctive features of each participating child, with the purpose of creating moments at school that would promote and improve their expressiveness and creativity. As part of the process, I reflect on my role as a teacher and the importance of my emotional availability and express my permanent questioning, that may lead to giving the necessary amount of time to listening and to silence, to organize and make the necessary changes, and to propose and generate new meanings to the teaching practice, with the purpose of enjoying our own transformation, expressiveness, and creativity and, with all this, improve human relations.

Keywords : Expressiveness; creativity; language diversity; spontaneity; freedom; reflection; primary education; teaching; pedagogy.

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