What if the words teachers use before students begin a task can change how they approach it? In this episode, host Glenn Whitman talks with longtime St. Andrew's educator Chuck James about his research into verbal priming and creativity, exploring how intentional language can give students the permission and confidence to think more originally.

Drawing on Chuck's article, "Words That Matter: The Effect of Verbal Priming on Creativity", the conversation moves beyond the study itself into a broader discussion of student agency, problem-driven learning, design thinking, and the relationship between knowledge and creativity. Chuck shares how simple prompts can signal to students that their unusual ideas are worth pursuing, and why cultivating authentic creativity requires more than simply asking students to complete a project.

"Know it to use it." — Chuck James.

What You'll Learn:

  • How verbal priming can prepare students to approach creative tasks differently
  • Why the language teachers use can give students permission to pursue unconventional ideas
  • How knowledge and skills provide the foundation for meaningful creativity
  • The difference between project-based learning and problem-driven learning
  • Why authentic problems can create more opportunities for student agency and originality
  • How teachers can use questions and discrepant events to activate curiosity
  • Why students need opportunities to create unique interpretations of what they have learned
  • How trust, high expectations, and appropriate scaffolding can support student agency
  • How design thinking, problem-driven learning, and AI can work together to support deeper learning

"If I'm never asking students for a unique conception of what I've taught them, then I really think I have failed in my role as a teacher." — Chuck James.

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