Approaches to Creative Learning
As an experienced teacher Ray is ever mindful of the conflicting pressures put on schools. This can be especially highlighted when an institution is challenged to consider initiatives that ask staff and young people alike to take creative risks and work in different ways.
Ray's approach is to initially identify the school’s needs, mainly through observation and conversation, with a specific emphasis on the ‘student voice’. Quite early on, Ray will engage staff and students in exercises that encourage alternative ways of thinking and communicating which hopefully encourage cross curricular, project-based approaches to teaching and learning.
This privileging of conceptual development indicates Ray's strong belief in the link between creativity and problem solving which must go hand in hand with team building, emotional literacy and, of course, appropriate creative activities. By this, I mean the development of original ideas that result in innovative and meaningful processes and/or outcomes.
Creative Professional Biography
Ray trained professionally as a graphic designer and was employed as a senior designer/copywriter for an advertising agency. His involvement in education started as an instructor/supervisor for a Youth Training Scheme.
Having started secondary teaching as an art instructor, Ray became Head of Art and Media Studies with additional roles as a drama and technology teacher. He eventually became Head of the Performing Arts and Media/Film Studies faculty.
He founded and ran a youth drama society, writing and producing 50 sketches and plays over a period of ten years.
For three years he was a Creative Partnerships school coordinator which eventually led to his current roles as Creative Agent and Creative Practitioner.
Ray has had four successful, consecutive annual art exhibitions including site specific installations in Deal Castle and the Astor Arts Centre.
Other related roles include a national facilitator for Filmclub, Senior Examiner and Moderator, teacher trainer on behalf of the British Film Institute, and Continuing Professional Development tutor for a national examinations Board.