Meet Caroline Arnal | Founder of The Promethean Classroom / Creative Teacher / Author / Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Caroline Arnal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caroline, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
As a teacher, I noticed that in the classroom there was a vast focus on curriculum content delivery which favoured academic achievement. The problem with this system is that it can view students as a collective body that all learn in the same way and therefore can discriminate against children that think and process information differently. This is further complicated, when long-established attitudes in traditional teaching promote structured lessons that prefer focused and analytical thought to arrive at one correct answer as opposed to a divergent thinking approach where we encourage all children’s growth of ideas without judgment.

I wanted to build a business that relayed the message to all children that they are important and reassured them that their opinions matter. Doing this increases their confidence in their own abilities and helps them become successful lifelong learners. Engaging children in learning through their innate creativity is the perfect way of doing that.

What should our readers know about your business?
I always had a very idyllic view of what education should be. Growing up as a migrant in Australia, I learned from a very young age the importance of inclusion and the impact on a child’s confidence when they do not feel valued. I have taught in many different schools and yet I saw many children who did not fit into the system and as a result, felt that they were not enough. So a year ago I decided to build my own and it was probably one of the most frightening things I have ever done. Funny enough I kept hearing Kevin Costner whisper in my ear, “Build it and they will come!” So each day I would take one step at a time, constantly reminding myself how important it was to create change in the world. This helped me overcome my fear. Now I can’t imagine doing anything else!

I offer a series of creative workshops which give children the opportunity to enrich their learning outside of the academic classroom. It is a unique experience that is aimed at encouraging children to embrace their innate creativity. There is nothing more wonderful than when a child knows that their ideas are being seen and heard. For an instant, there is a spark in their eyes, a moment of pride and confidence that encourages them to forge ahead and love learning. That little moment is the reason I teach creative education. Creativity has no limits. There is no right or wrong answer. There is only a beautiful expansion of ideas and thoughts. My workshops include Poetry in Nature, Creative Writing, Nature Journaling, Photography, Sacred Geometry and Sounds of Dreamtime which is a collaboration of poetry and Indigenous Australian Dreamtime stories and music.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting Singapore and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This little red dot is in the middle of everything. You can travel almost anywhere in Asia from here even for a short weekend stint.

My favourites would include the Angkorian Temples in Cambodia – enter before all the other tourists and you can have these mystical temples to yourself. I loved the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Square in Taipai – when I came around the corner, it absolutely took my breath away. A little closer to home we have Malacca for its quaint historical buildings, Penang’s wall art, and the Grand Palace of Bangkok It doesn’t really matter where you go in Asia, you will always find such interesting sights and the best food.

As for Singapore, I live for hawker centres. They offer the greatest variety of food at the best prices. You can get anything from the not-to-be-missed chicken rice, salted egg prawns, fried kway teow, laksa, wanton mee, and nasi lemak – all with spicy sambal and of course carrot cake (which is not a cake!!!)

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family who have always supported me in everything I want to achieve in this lifetime. My incredible tribe of women who have always believed in me.
My inspiring students who never cease to amaze me and fill me with joy.

Website: https://www.theprometheanclassroom.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theprometheanclassroom/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-arnal-74136276/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePrometheanClassroom/

Image Credits
Jodie Jones Photography