In our effort to prepare students for real-world careers and challenges, and to equip them with 21st‑century skills, we sometimes forget that as educators we also have a responsibility to dream and to create spaces where everyone can be creative and bring out the best in themselves.
The new edition of the course “Promoting Creativity, Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving in the classroom” took place in Tenerife from 09/11/2025 to 15/11/2025. The participants came from all across Europe, with Andreja, Saša and Helena from OŠ Blaža Kocena Ponikva in Slovenia, Andrea, Miriam, Kristian, Tobias and Pål from Akademiet Realfagsgymnas Sandvika in Norway, Katarina, Antonia, Therese, Ingela and Asima from Haganässkolan vuxenutbildning in Sweden, Melina from Kurt-Tucholsky-Gesamtschule ule Minden in Germany, and Lucie from GYMNÁZIUM JANA PALACHA PRAHA 1, s.r.o. in the Czech Republic.

When discussing the key competences needed for life in the 21st century, participants explored learning and innovation skills, digital skills, as well as career and life skills. Their attention centered on the 4Cs: critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Most importantly, through hands-on practice we discovered how our brain and thinking processes shift when faced with a problem to solve.
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Participants engaged in a series of challenges designed to highlight how typical obstacles to creative, out‑of‑the‑box thinking can be overcome through targeted strategies. By applying the 6 Thinking Hats method, they practiced “lateral thinking” and explored how it could be concretely integrated into the subjects they already teach. Through both individual exercises and peer feedback, it became clear that this approach is versatile—applicable across disciplines from science to language learning—and can also serve as a formative assessment tool that motivates students to think in innovative ways.

Moving to visual strategies, participants experienced new activities that could be used to stimulate students’ creative expression and could be a basis for brainstorming or discussing their ideas. We challenged an “only-art” perception of what “visual thinking” encompasses by proposing an innovative and digital perspective.

Reflecting on the importance of developing students’ critical thinking skills proved essential in a world where they are often passively confronted with overwhelming amounts of (mis)information. Participants took part in reasoning, questioning, and debating activities that can be adapted to various classroom contexts, supporting students in becoming active and conscious agents of their own learning.

To bring a healthy measure of creativity and critical thinking into the classroom, we must not only seek new solutions but also recognize how innovation often arises from reimagining traditional tools. Participants enjoyed engaging in different games and had the chance to adapt them to their own subjects, thereby strengthening their learning perspectives.

Finishing the course, everyone had a chance to create a personalized display of their training and cultural journey in Tenerıfe. From a tour visiting some historic places в градът  to solving problems as a team where everyone had a handicap, we said goodbye to a week full of laughter, creativity, and new experiences!
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