Fueling Creativity in Education

Dr. Matthew J. Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett
  • 4.9 (49)
  • Education
  • Updated Weekly

The Fueling Creativity in Education podcast provides listeners with unique insights into the field of creativity research, including best practices for applying this knowledge to a traditional school environment. Thanks to deep dive interviews with renowned creativity scholars, respected practitioners, and passionate educators, every teacher and administrator will walk away with new strategies that inspire and support student and teacher creativity in and out of the classroom.

  1. 9h ago

    10 Actions for Fueling Creativity: Spot Creative Potential

    📘 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 often easy to miss because it doesn't always look the way we expect. It may not be the student with the highest grades or the one who always follows the rules. Instead, it might be the student who asks unexpected questions, challenges assumptions, experiments with new ideas, or approaches problems differently from everyone else. Drawing on insights from creativity researchers Mark Runco and Todd Lubart, this episode explores why educators should look beyond finished work and begin noticing the early signs of creativity. Matthew introduces the image of an acorn, reminding us that every student has hidden potential waiting for the right conditions to grow. The role of an educator is not to create that potential, but to recognize it and help it develop. The episode also encourages teachers to broaden the opportunities they provide for students to demonstrate creativity. Open-ended challenges and student choice often reveal strengths that traditional assignments and single-answer assessments can overlook. When every student has the chance to approach a task in their own way, creativity becomes easier to recognize. Most importantly, this episode reminds us that one conversation, one opportunity, or one teacher who chooses to look a little closer can make all the difference in helping a student discover their creative potential.   Be sure to subscribe to your favorite platform and sign up for our Extra Fuel newsletter for more resources and inspiration. Visit FuelingCreativityPodcast.com for more information or email us at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com.

  2. Jul 21

    10 Actions for Fueling Creativity: Model Creative Behavior

    📘 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 technology problem that turned out to have a surprisingly simple solution. What could have remained an embarrassing moment instead became an opportunity to model something far more valuable than a perfectly delivered lesson. Matthew reflects on how our first reactions to mistakes can shape the learning experiences of those around us. Rather than hiding errors or pretending everything went smoothly, educators can use these moments to demonstrate reflection, persistence, and problem solving. By thinking out loud, acknowledging assumptions, and showing how they work through challenges, teachers give students a real example of what creativity looks like in practice. The episode also explores why modeling matters. Students pay close attention not only to what educators say, but also to how they respond when things go wrong. Every unexpected setback becomes an opportunity to demonstrate resilience, curiosity, and a willingness to learn. Rather than striving for perfection, this episode encourages educators to embrace the everyday moments that reveal the creative process in action.   Be sure to subscribe to your favorite platform and sign up for our Extra Fuel newsletter for more resources and inspiration. Visit FuelingCreativityPodcast.com for more information or email us at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com.

  3. Jul 14

    10 Actions for Fueling Creativity: Initiate Discussions

    📘 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 the Summer 2026 Listen and Learn Series, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett explore Action #5 from The Future Creative: Initiate Discussions. This episode looks at why conversations about creativity matter. The way we define creativity influences what we notice, what we encourage, and who feels confident enough to see themselves as creative. When those conversations never happen, outdated ideas often remain unchallenged. Matthew explores two common myths that continue to shape education. The first is that creativity belongs only in the arts. The second is that only a small number of people are naturally creative. Drawing on insights from creativity researchers including Dr. Anna Abraham and Dr. James Kaufman, he explains why these beliefs can prevent both educators and students from recognizing their own creative strengths. The episode also highlights the importance of creating opportunities for honest conversations about creativity. Rather than telling people what creativity is, educators can ask thoughtful questions, listen carefully, and invite different perspectives. Those discussions can help build a shared understanding of creativity across classrooms, schools, and communities. If we want creativity to become part of everyday learning, the conversation has to begin somewhere. This episode offers a simple place to start.   Be sure to subscribe to your favorite platform and sign up for our Extra Fuel newsletter for more resources and inspiration. Visit FuelingCreativityPodcast.com for more information or email us at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com.

  4. Jul 7

    10 Actions for Fueling Creativity: Ask Questions

    📘 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 challenge: take an ordinary pencil and spend five minutes asking as many questions about it as possible. What starts as an ordinary classroom object quickly becomes an invitation to wonder, revealing how easily familiarity can prevent us from noticing the world around us. Matthew explores the difference between questions that simply check for understanding and questions that spark curiosity, imagination, and creative thinking. While many classroom questions have a single correct answer, authentic questions encourage exploration, invite multiple possibilities, and create opportunities for deeper learning. Drawing from interviews with leading creativity researchers, educators, and practitioners, this episode highlights why asking questions emerged as one of the most common themes across The Future Creative. As creativity practitioner Anne Jacoby reminds us, curiosity is the gateway to creativity. The conversation also examines why questioning has become even more important in the age of artificial intelligence. As information becomes increasingly accessible, the ability to ask thoughtful, meaningful questions is becoming one of the most valuable creative skills educators can help students develop. Most importantly, this episode encourages educators to create classrooms where curiosity feels safe, where students are encouraged to wonder, and where questions are celebrated as the beginning of creative thinking rather than interruptions to learning. Be sure to subscribe to your favorite platform and sign up for our Extra Fuel newsletter for more resources and inspiration. Visit FuelingCreativityPodcast.com for more information or email us at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com.

  5. Jun 30

    10 Actions for Fueling Creativity: Build Relationships

    📘 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 looking for feedback, an experienced educator proposing a new initiative, or a school leader hoping to inspire innovation across your staff, creativity rarely happens in isolation. It grows in environments where people feel trusted, respected, and supported enough to take risks. This episode examines why strong relationships are the foundation of creative learning communities. Matthew and Cyndi discuss how psychological safety encourages educators and students to share unfinished ideas, experiment with new approaches, and learn from failure without fear of judgment. Listeners will also discover simple but meaningful ways to strengthen relationships in the classroom, including celebrating important moments in students' lives, showing genuine curiosity about their experiences, and creating opportunities for authentic connection. Beyond the classroom, the conversation highlights how supportive relationships among teachers and school leaders can foster a culture where creativity extends throughout an entire school. The episode concludes with a reflective activity that invites educators to consider the relationships that encourage their creativity and those that unintentionally discourage it, offering a practical first step toward building stronger, more creative communities.   Be sure to subscribe to your favorite platform and sign up for our Extra Fuel newsletter for more resources and inspiration. Visit FuelingCreativityPodcast.com for more information or email us at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com.

  6. Jun 23

    10 Actions for Fueling Creativity: Be Deliberate

    📘 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 introduces the first action from The Future Creative: 10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education: Be Deliberate. Drawing on an early experience designing a digital media and moviemaking program, Matthew reflects on a surprising challenge that revealed an important lesson about creativity. Despite being given an open-ended assignment, students across multiple schools produced remarkably similar ideas. The experience led him to question a common assumption in education: that open-ended tasks automatically produce original thinking. In this practical episode, he explores:  Why creativity should be taught with the same intentionality as other important skills What happens when educators assume originality will emerge on its own How open-ended assignments can still produce predictable outcomes The difference between offering choice and deliberately targeting creative thinking  Why students need support and strategies to generate original ideas How instructional design influences creative outcomes The importance of identifying creativity as a learning goal, not just a byproduct Ways educators can intentionally build creativity into existing lessons and routines Why small changes can have a meaningful impact on creative development How deliberate teaching practices help students develop skills beyond academic standards Matthew also reflects on how educators who successfully foster creativity often do so because they intentionally design learning experiences that target creative thinking, curiosity, and idea generation alongside subject content. If you are an educator looking to strengthen creativity in your classroom, this episode offers an important reminder that creativity grows when we teach it with purpose.   Be sure to subscribe to your favorite platform and sign up for our Extra Fuel newsletter for more resources and inspiration. Visit FuelingCreativityPodcast.com for more information or email us at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com.

  7. Jun 16

    10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education: Keep Open

    📘 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: 10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education: Keep Open. Listen in as Cyndi explores why creativity requires us to resist the urge to immediately judge ideas and instead remain open long enough to discover what might be hidden within them. Through a simple classroom example, she demonstrates how even an impractical idea can reveal a valuable insight when we take the time to understand the need behind it. In this practical episode, she explores: – Why our first reaction to new ideas is often judgment – How quickly dismissing ideas can limit creative thinking – The difference between evaluating an idea and staying open to possibility – Why even unrealistic ideas may contain valuable insights – How positive judgments can stop idea development just as quickly as negative ones – The importance of separating idea generation from evaluation – What happens when students feel their ideas are immediately dismissed – How awareness of our own judgment patterns can strengthen creativity – A simple exercise for monitoring judgments throughout the week – Why keeping ideas open creates opportunities for better solutions to emerge Cyndi also shares a classroom assignment she has used for years that helps students recognize just how often they judge ideas without realizing it. If you are an educator, school leader, or anyone interested in fostering creativity, this episode offers a simple but powerful practice for creating more space for curiosity, exploration, and possibility.   Be sure to subscribe to your favorite platform and sign up for our Extra Fuel newsletter for more resources and inspiration. Visit FuelingCreativityPodcast.com for more information or email us at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com.

  8. Jun 9

    Disconnect to Reconnect: Creativity Beyond the School Year

    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 activities that bring them joy and inspiration. Listen in as they discuss the importance of creating space for mind wandering, creative hobbies, and meaningful experiences beyond work. They also offer a preview of the upcoming summer Listen and Learn series, inspired by their new book, The Future Creative: 10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education. In this thoughtful conversation, they explore: – Why creativity often needs periods of rest and recovery – How slowing down can help us think more clearly and creatively – The value of disconnecting from technology and productivity pressures – Why mind wandering can be a powerful creative practice – How hobbies and personal interests can help restore energy and focus – The importance of reconnecting with activities you loved as a child – Why creativity should be nurtured both inside and outside of work – How small daily habits can support wellbeing and creative thinking – The challenge of balancing professional goals with personal renewal – Ways educators can create space for reflection during school breaks – How AI might help reduce routine tasks while preserving meaningful creative work – What listeners can expect from the upcoming Listen and Learn summer series Dr. Matthew shares how golf has become a creative outlet that helps him disconnect from work and focus on learning, growth, and being present in the moment. Dr. Cyndi reflects on returning to dance after many years away and the joy of reconnecting with a lifelong passion that has always been part of her creative identity.   If you are an educator preparing for the months ahead, this episode offers encouragement to slow down, make space for yourself, and embrace the experiences that help creativity flourish. Be sure to subscribe to your favorite platform and sign up for our Extra Fuel newsletter for more resources and inspiration. Visit FuelingCreativityPodcast.com for more information or email us at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com.

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About

The Fueling Creativity in Education podcast provides listeners with unique insights into the field of creativity research, including best practices for applying this knowledge to a traditional school environment. Thanks to deep dive interviews with renowned creativity scholars, respected practitioners, and passionate educators, every teacher and administrator will walk away with new strategies that inspire and support student and teacher creativity in and out of the classroom.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Matthew J. Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    250
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2021 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Fueling Creativity in Education

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