My “Why”
If I’m asking my students to grow, I’ve got to grow with them.
It started with homework.
Homework probably wouldn’t be the word my new principal would choose to describe his “offer” for us to read The Innovator’s Mindset this summer, but it’s the one that ran through my mind as I added the book to my to-do list.
The author, George Couros (2015), defines the “innovator’s mindset” as the belief that “abilities, intelligence, and talents are developed so that they lead to the creation of new and better ideas” (p. 33). As a proponent of Carol Dweck’s research on growth mindset, I was intrigued by Couros’ ideas, particularly those relating to what he calls “innovative leadership”: “If we want people to take risks, they have to know we are there to catch them and support them. They also need to see us leading by example and taking risks in our work” (p. 7).
A few days later, I created this blog.
By Couros’ definition, the blog itself isn’t innovative. In fact, I’ve already found dozens of other like-minded educators exchanging their ideas on this same platform (a process that Couros might call “connected learning”). However, the ideas I develop through my writing have the potential to be new and better, which in theory will empower my students to “be self-directed and guide their own learning” (p. 96).
As the kind of person who blushes when people sing “happy birthday” on my birthday, the thought of publicly sharing my “take” on education — some aspects of which may be controversial — absolutely terrifies me. At the same time, I know that if I’m asking my students to grow, which naturally involves taking risks, I have to grow and take risks with them. As Couros notes, “Our job, sometimes, is simply to be the spark, help build confidence, and then get out of the way.” By posting my ideas and connecting with other educators on Medium, I hope to model the vulnerability, open-mindedness, and creativity necessary to innovate — to generate new and better learning opportunities that enable my students to pursue their own lines of inquiry.
Here’s to hoping that this “spark” lights a fire within my students.
References
Couros, G. (2015). The innovator’s mindset. Dave Burgess Consulting.
