Contemplative Traditions as the Bedrock of a Creativity and Healing Approach to Pedagogy

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 3:20 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Contemplative Traditions for Creativity and Healing: Holistic Pedagogy (Table 9)

Abstract

Post-pandemic classrooms that challenge oppressive norms require creativity as a foundation for pedagogy and psychosocial healing as a primary goal. Creativity is not only a medium of self-expression, but a state of being that empowers the learner, educator, and environment to be one infused with a mindset of liberation (Author, 2021). Furthermore, creative expression, an inherent feature of contemplative traditions, provides the framework for classrooms as spaces of remedy. This paper concentrates on the implementation of contemplative practices in a student and faculty workshop at the STEAM IdeaLab. The objective of this study was to explore a novel method for studying creativity - informed by contemplative practices (e.g. meditation, nature exploration, etc.), as a medium of both learning and healing.

Authors

• Raaghav Pandya, City University of New York

• Christopher Emdin, Teachers College, Columbia University