Are Innovative Teachers Happier?

I remember a post from George Couros about a teacher sharing how innovation had helped with improving classroom management. The educator reported that "the more innovative I have become, the less classroom management I have to deal with."

It was a great post, and I think the idea definitely has merit. Recently, I've noticed another thing. It seems like educators who have the inclination to take risks, innovate, and empower students, seem to have more energy and seem more satisfied in their jobs. 

It seems like innovative educators are happier. They seem more optimistic. They seem to have more hope. 

When they face problems, they see lots of possibilities to address the issue. They are willing to try different solutions. They aren't always expecting something outside of their control to change. They look to themselves first or partner with colleagues to find solutions instead of expecting a different structure, schedule, program, etc. to make the difference.

There are so many highly committed educators working extremely hard, putting in a ton of effort, who seem to be carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. Sometimes they are trying to 'will' students to learn, but the methods they are using are the same ones they used last year or the year before that. They are just pushing harder with the same methods.

The innovative teacher will ask, "What might work with this group of students?" The innovative teacher is willing to try just about anything to reach these kids, all of them. These teachers are working hard too, but they are willing to change and be creative and step way out of their comfort zone to help kids learn.

They aren't just working harder. They are becoming more flexible in their thinking. There might be a better way to do this. They look for ways to make learning work better for kids instead of trying to force kids to adjust to how learning works in this class.

But why do they seem happier? More satisfied?

I think it's because they are hopeful for the future. They believe a better outcome is possible if they keep growing and learning. Other teachers are attached to their methods, their way of doing things, and when it keeps failing, well, that's quite disheartening.

The happiest teachers are the ones who are connecting, learning, trying new things and believing that even though things might be tough now, things can and will get better. 

So what do you think? Are innovative people happier? Leave a comment below or respond on Twitter or Facebook. 

        

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Glitz by iFortune in the heart of Richmond

Glitz is centrally located in Richmond,  near Richmond Centre, Canada Line, Richmond Library, Richmond High, Minoru Park, Café, and restaurants. Glitz by iFortune is a 9-story, mixed-use project with residential, commercial, and retail space. There are 77 spacious condos from 1 to 3 bedrooms, 100,000 sq ft of office space, and 12,000 sq ft of retail space. Residents will enjoy the convenience of everything they need nearby. At Glitz, live, work, and play in the heart of Richmond!

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3 Images to Further the #InnovatorsMindset

One of my fears when writing, “The Innovator’s Mindset“, was that I would leave something out and that it would be incomplete.  I then came to grips with the idea that although the learning is shared in book form, the learning on the topic, one that I am extremely passionate about, would continue.  Waiting until I figured out every single aspect of what I could write would mean that no book would ever be completed.  I have learned a great deal about innovation and have explored the importance of the #InnovatorsMindset in education after the book.

Below are some images that I have created after the book, that might be complimentary if you have read it, or helpful even if you haven’t.  I will give a brief explanation of each image and why I created it.

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Moving from Fixed to Growth to an Innovator’s Mindset

The image below is to differentiate between the different mindsets, and hopefully, shows why moving to the idea of an “Innovator’s Mindset” is crucial for our students, and adults, today.  How we look at situations, and how we think in the face of adversity, will determine what we do and what we create.

The Process of Innovation in Teaching and Learning

Simply stated, every best practice was once an innovation.  As well, small innovations in practice happen daily in classrooms in order for educators to best serve our students.  This could be modifications in reading programs (iteration) that we create when working with students or being open to creating an entirely new way to teach a concept (invention) that serves individuals in a way that was better than before.

A favourite quote;

“If a teacher explains something to a student the same way 100 times and the student still doesn’t get it, it is not the student that is a slow learner.”

The image below is not meant to be linear, but constant adjustments in the way we teach and learn to serve our students.

 

Education Decision-Making Flowchart

Great teachers and leaders find a way.  By starting every decision with, “Is this best for the learner?”, helps to focus on what we need to do, but that doesn’t mean it always gets done.  I say this to people all of the time; somebody, somewhere, is doing the exact same thing you say you can’t do because they are finding a way.

Please note that sometimes the best way to serve our learners is by serving the people who work closest with them on a daily basis.  If teachers are not empowered in their work, they are less likely to feel comfortable doing something different in the pursuit of serving their students.  Serving the learner also means supporting the educator in their pursuit of everyday excellence in their classroom.  They are not counterintuitive but work in conjunction with one another.

 

Two Questions to Ask at the End of a Professional Learning Day

How do we know that our professional learning day was effective?  The best measure is to understand deeply if it made an impact on our classrooms.  If it does not make an impact on our students, was it worth the money and time investment?

 

Hopefully, some of this new thinking shared simply and directly, will help you in whatever work you are doing to lead your school or classroom forward.

• August 8, 2017 Education Decision Making Flowchart
• August 22, 2017 Using Technology Doesn’t Make You Innovative
• April 30, 2017 3 Misconceptions About Innovation in Education
• September 19, 2016 3 More Critical Questions For the Innovative Educator
• October 22, 2016 Technology does not equal innovation, but using technology is often crucial to innovation.

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A Cadence of Accountability to One Another

I read this great post on assessment from Bill Ferriter, “How Would YOU Answer these Questions on Grading?“, where he asks these questions:

Do your students care more about their grades than the learning those grades are supposed to represent? 

Are the grades given in your building an accurate representation of what students know?

Are grades in your building a better indicator of student COMPLIANCE than they are of student PERFORMANCE?

Do grades REALLY motivate learners?

You can read more on what Bill shares on these questions from his post, and although I love what Bill wrote, this post is not about assessment in the sense of how we grade our students.  It is about thinking about how we look at the impact these conversations have in our professional practice.

Example…

Let’s say that we take these questions from Bill and have a great discussion within our faculty.  That’s a great start, but what happens after the conversations? We are often really good at having meetings, but not necessarily great at doing something because of said meetings.

So what if after these great discussions, we answer the following (shared from an earlier post):O

I thought of these questions in the first place after working with a group of teachers and students, with one of the students asking me over lunch, the following question:

If teachers are doing this on these days that we are not here, why are they not getting any better?

I do believe that these questions can be helpful in creating action from our time together, but now that I look at them, I think that there was something missing from the original post.  Through my Covey training, one of the aspects they focused on is ensuring we see results because of our actions. This was called a “cadence of accountability.”  The way I have interpreted this term was that we create a rhythm in how we report what we have done to our colleagues because of our ongoing conversations and commitments.  We do not just ask these questions at the end of a professional learning day, but we follow up with our peers and share the impact of the work we have done at the next professional learning day.

A question you could ask:

Since we focused on _________ in our last professional learning day, what have you done, and what was the impact for student learning?

It doesn’t necessarily have to be that question (feel free to make your own or any modification), but whatever question it is, it should promote accountability toward action between meeting “A” and meeting “B,” not only from teachers but administrators.  How often do you have a professional learning day in your schools that you do a plethora of work in one day, but then just move to the next thing on the following day?  If we want depth in any of our learning or actions, there has to be time to follow-up.

We can talk all we want in education,  but only action will move us forward.  Creating a cadence of accountability to one another and our students is something that should be a norm in school if we are going to continually grow as organizations and individuals.

• February 28, 2015 What do you want leaders to do with technology? (Updated Visual)
• February 15, 2015 5 Ideas for Conversations on Change
• May 16, 2017 5 Great Non-Education Books That Might Change Your Thinking on Teaching and Learning
• February 19, 2017 From “Data Driven” to “Evidence Informed”
• August 3, 2012 Serving Others

Source: George Couros

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White Chocolate Tiramisu Pudding Cups

White Chocolate Tiramisu Pudding Cups come together in minutes for a delicious and simple dessert. They’re perfect for holiday parties, or a Wednesday night.

This post is sponsored by Godiva Instant Pudding Mix. All opinions are my own. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that make My Baking Addiction possible.

I have been in love with Tiramisu since the first time I tried it in high school at a family-style Italian restaurant. The whole family headed there for one of my teen birthdays.

Even though I don’t remember which birthday we were celebrating, I definitely remember my very first bite of the enormous Tiramisu that we ordered to share.

Since that day, you can pretty much guarantee that if a restaurant has Tiramisu on the menu, I’m more than likely ordering it. Unless, of course, they also have cheesecake or creme brulee, then it’s a kind of a toss-up.

(more…)

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A Cadence of Accountability to One Another

I read this great post on assessment from Bill Ferriter, “How Would YOU Answer these Questions on Grading?“, where he asks these questions:

Do your students care more about their grades than the learning those grades are supposed to represent? 

Are the grades given in your building an accurate representation of what students know?

Are grades in your building a better indicator of student COMPLIANCE than they are of student PERFORMANCE?

Do grades REALLY motivate learners?

You can read more on what Bill shares on these questions from his post, and although I love what Bill wrote, this post is not about assessment in the sense of how we grade our students.  It is about thinking about how we look at the impact these conversations have in our professional practice.

Example…

Let’s say that we take these questions from Bill and have a great discussion within our faculty.  That’s a great start, but what happens after the conversations? We are often really good at having meetings, but not necessarily great at doing something because of said meetings.

So what if after these great discussions, we answer the following (shared from an earlier post):O

I thought of these questions in the first place after working with a group of teachers and students, with one of the students asking me over lunch, the following question:

If teachers are doing this on these days that we are not here, why are they not getting any better?

I do believe that these questions can be helpful in creating action from our time together, but now that I look at them, I think that there was something missing from the original post.  Through my Covey training, one of the aspects they focused on is ensuring we see results because of our actions. This was called a “cadence of accountability.”  The way I have interpreted this term was that we create a rhythm in how we report what we have done to our colleagues because of our ongoing conversations and commitments.  We do not just ask these questions at the end of a professional learning day, but we follow up with our peers and share the impact of the work we have done at the next professional learning day.

A question you could ask:

Since we focused on _________ in our last professional learning day, what have you done, and what was the impact for student learning?

It doesn’t necessarily have to be that question (feel free to make your own or any modification), but whatever question it is, it should promote accountability toward action between meeting “A” and meeting “B,” not only from teachers but administrators.  How often do you have a professional learning day in your schools that you do a plethora of work in one day, but then just move to the next thing on the following day?  If we want depth in any of our learning or actions, there has to be time to follow-up.

We can talk all we want in education,  but only action will move us forward.  Creating a cadence of accountability to one another and our students is something that should be a norm in school if we are going to continually grow as organizations and individuals.

• February 28, 2015 What do you want leaders to do with technology? (Updated Visual)
• February 15, 2015 5 Ideas for Conversations on Change
• May 16, 2017 5 Great Non-Education Books That Might Change Your Thinking on Teaching and Learning
• February 19, 2017 From “Data Driven” to “Evidence Informed”
• August 3, 2012 Serving Others

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PMP:088 Moving from Average to Excellence in School Relationships

When I was in college, I was a resident advisor in the dormitory where I lived. My dorm director, Scott Boss, was a graduate student who not only supervised all the resident advisors in my dorm but also taught us leadership lessons. One day Scott was talking to the R.A.’s about ways we could better […]

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