| Alice, a secondary teacher from Quebec, Canada is the focal point of this qualitative case-study research. She is a Caucasian, 37 year-old, married woman with three children. Alice is selected for the following reasons: primarily, she is a science teacher, who has received a provincial award Prix de merite de la conservation de la faune for a project, that is a demonstration of creativity in her field. Secondarily, I share many attributes with her including being married with children, and being a science teacher. Data were gathered from July, 1998 to July, 2001. Data sources included five one-to-one interviews with Alice. Additional data sources included one interview with June (mentor-colleague) and Jane (Departmental Head); two classroom observations; 1996 retrieved interview; and artifacts of students' work. All interviews were audio-taped verbatim and then transcribed, and observations videotaped. The overarching themes represented constructs involving community, values, and interpersonal skills. Alice's values, her bent towards community, and her way of life in constructing interpersonal relationships contribute to her creative teaching. Alice's philosophy of grounding education in the community determines who she is, and encompasses her creative process which begins with recycling of community resources and giving back to the community through the creative products developed by her students. Her values guide her practice and teaching decisions. This case study of creative teaching highlights the domain of teaching as different from those addressed by studies on creative giants and presents an inspirational model for individuals in the teaching profession. |
