Teachers' awareness of students' potentials and its implications on their disposition to creative needs of the student

The teacher is a powerful agent through whom meaningful education for the children could be attained. It is therefore expected that he/she should cater for all learners, irrespective of their differences. However, literature abound that some children, especially the potentially creative ones, seem not have the opportunity to benefit from academic work. This may not be unconnected with their unusual nature and abstract thinking which teachers see as non-conforming, and capable of disrupting the planned activities of the classroom. Teachers are of the view that such potentialities should be discouraged. Discouraging any of the creative potentials will amount to ruining and limiting creative performance. And most nations of the world owe their development and economic stability to their few creative individuals. Nigeria as a developing nation needs such talent and their encouragement in all its ramifications can not be under-rated. Teacher's role in this aspect is therefore very crucial, and the need to understand them better will go a long way in helping things. The Nigerian Journal of Guidance and Counselling Vol. 9(1) 2004: 94-10