ABSTRACT
Explanations of any type are usually framed in ways that reflect the style and individuality of the speaker or writer. In this sense, the ‘teacher as an artist’ simile (Stenhouse, 1988) succinctly describes what may happen when a creative teacher crafts an elegant and concise explanation in a challenging situation. How do expert teachers draw creative word pictures that both appeal to and inform a diverse group like a class of students? Artists and craftsmen are readily distinguished by their styles and it is likely that expert teachers use artistic styles and creative formats within which they develop their explanations, arguments and questions.
