Ideational code-switching: Walking the talk about supporting student creativity in the classroom

This article considers how teachers can begin to reconcile their value for creativity with a pedagogy that supports it. First, teachers’ experiences of finding themselves caught in the middle between valuing creativity and helping students conform to the constraints of the classroom are considered. Next, the role that constraints play in creativity is discussed. Finally, a new way of thinking about creative expression, called ideational code-switching, is proposed. Ideational code-switching represents the ability to move between intrapersonal creative interpretations and interpersonal creative expression. The article closes with suggestions for how teachers can support students’ ideational code-switching and thereby encourage creative expression in their classroom.