Topic: School / Industry News
Back to school in time to celebrate International Dot Day
Yes it’s that time of year again folks. The leaves are turning, the evenings are drawing in and students are packing their pencil cases. So throughout September we’ll be sharing our top tips and updates for “la rentrée” – aka back to school season. From parental concerns to apps to keep you organised, we’re here for you.
To kick off the season, this week we’re focusing on a wonderful initiative created by a school teacher back in 2009: “International Dot Day“. Every year, on 15th September, the day is dedicated to encouraging children and adults to boost their courage to release their creative potential.
Our inner spark can be easily dulled because of a fear of judgement, expectations and societal pressures. As adults, we often embrace creativity as a hobby, but less so as a viable career path. In reality, creativity is essential for most careers and, contrary to popular opinion, we can cultivate our creativity. It does, however, sometimes require a bold leap of faith to indulge in our creative side. That’s where International Dot Day comes in.
The History of International Dot Day
Created by Terry Shay, a primary school teacher, he introduced his class to Peter H. Reynold’s book “The Dot” back in 2009. The class loved it so much, they reached out to the author and asked if they could use the book’s “birthday” as an anniversary date. “The Dot is the story of a caring teacher who dares a doubting student to trust in her own abilities by being brave enough to “make her mark”. What begins with a small dot on a piece of paper becomes a breakthrough in confidence and courage, igniting a journey of self-discovery and sharing”.
Why not plan your own Dot Day celebration next week? It’s also a great way for the younger ones to make new friends if they’re starting at a new school. We’d also like to encourage you to share this with the teachers in your lives. If it’s not already in place, perhaps you could help roll out International Dot Day at your children’s school?
Bonus: Creative inspiration!
This TED Talk playlist is a great place to start. It has compiled a great series of talks for adults and children to watch together. It covers a great list of topics from “turning trash into toys for learning” to “how I built a toaster – from scratch”.
And for anyone that has a slightly critical voice in their head when it comes to creativity (aka all of us)? We highly recommend Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED Talk to help encourage your own creativity:
