Phil loves teaching. He spent many years as Planning Director teaching his planning staff and Planning Commission how to plan and implement city plans. Later he was a school substitute teacher and second language reading and writing volunteer.

 

Perhaps Phil’s most important teaching involved his K-12 Design program that engaged young people in developing creativity skills. Phil, like Sir Ken Robinson (one of the most popular TEDTalks), believes that the importance of creativity is greatly under appreciated in our society and educational system. Creativity is a process and can be taught.

 

Phil’s K-12 DESIGN used architecture, landscape architecture, city planning, interior design and structural engineering to engage students in creative thinking. Engagements often involved school classroom and after school programs and also a university summer high school STEM program, community college summer college for kids and various community activities.

 

A favorite K-12 DESIGN activity was to be an architect and design your dream bedroom.
 

A typical classroom conversation:
 

Phil: “You are going to be architects and design your dream room -  just be creative and there are no rules or limitations.”

Student: “I can’t draw!”

Phil: “Architecture is creative thinking, not drawing. I can’t draw either and actually some architects are not very good at drawing, but they are creative. What you learn today applies to designing everything, including woman’s fashions, hair styles, cars, road trips, birthday parties, jewelry, movies, airplanes and rockets so even if you are not interested in architecture and interior design this will be useful.”

Student: “Can I have a jacuzzi?”

Phil: “Of course - it’s your dream room.”
Student: “Can I have McDonalds in my room?” 

Phil: “Its up to you, but do you want all those people in your room? Maybe you should just have a drive-up delivery window.”

Student: “Can I have my horse in my room?”

Phil: “Yes, but you might consider a corral next to your room so you can sleep with your horse whenever you wish, but not every night.”

Student: “Can I have a soccer field in my room?”

Phil: “That is way too big, but what do you think about a soccer net that you could kick into?”

Phil thinking to himself: “If I can get the students engaged enough, they can design their dream classroom, school, neighborhood, city and the world they wish to live in.” Wow!!

 

Sir Ken Robinson once said, “People are not creative in the abstract; they are creative in something: in mathematics, in engineering, in writing, in music, in business, in whatever. Creativity involves putting your imagination to work. In a sense, creativity is applied imagination.”

As educator Annemarie Borg notably observed, “To teach any subject must include allowing one who learns to be creative, imaginative and to think creativity. [This] leads to self esteem > inner strength > focus > courage > commitment and empowers us to tackle change and leads to a happier state of being.”