I
have been revisiting and thinking about Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros and The Growth Mindset by Carol
Dweck. In order for us to embrace
innovation in our schools and classrooms, teachers must have the growth mindset
and embrace being an
innovator first. Only then can we
create schools that embody this mindset as a “culture”.
“Belief that abilities,
intelligence, and talents are developed leading to the creation of new and
better ideas.” Carol Dweck
To develop a culture and “innovators” mindset, we must embody it
ourselves. To borrow George’s work and research on characteristics and
themes in the area of innovation, listed below are the 8 Characteristics of an
Innovator’s Mindset and why they are important for us as educators:
1.
Empathetic – To create new and better ways
of doing things, we need to first understand who we are creating them for.
As educators, we should start with the question: “What is best for this
particular child?” For us to create something better for our students, we have to understand
their experiences. This way we can understand what works and what does
not work from the perspective of a learner,
not a teacher. We need to put
ourselves in our student’s shoes before we can create better opportunities for
them in our classrooms.
2.
Problem Finders – All innovation starts from a
question, a problem, or frustration - not an answer. Many capstone
projects created by students in their classrooms start with first finding, and
then solving problems both locally and globally. How often do we as educators
immerse ourselves in a similar process? If want to be innovative, we need
to look at questions first. The
questions could be as simple as, “What features does Gmail offer me?” Then, we
need to go find the answers or create a solution.
3.
Risk-Takers – Many would agree that “we have always done it this way”,
“it’s tradition” or “best-practice” can be the enemy of innovation. To be
truly innovative, you sometimes have to go off the beaten path. For some students,
the “tried-and-true” methods will still work, but others, you will need to try
something different. If students are totally checking out of school, is
“best practice”, “tradition” or “status quo” truly “best”, or just most
comfortable for the teacher?
4.
Networked – Innovation does not happen in isolation, as it is often
ideas that are being shared amongst a group that lead to new and better ideas
being developed. The best educators have always created networks to learn
from others and create new and powerful ideas. Now through the use of social
media, we have the opportunity to take networks to a whole different level. We can create “idea banks” globally.
If isolation is the enemy of
innovation, then networks are crucial
if we are going to develop the “Innovator’s Mindset”.
5.
Observant – Individuals that are “innovative” are constantly looking around
their world to create connections or make an idea their own. In education, we often look to
solutions to come from “educational institutions”, but when organizations
around the world share their practices and ideas, we have to tap into their
diverse expertise and learn from them as well. Watch what others are doing. Use their new ideas as a catalyst to inspire your own!
6.
Creators – Many people have great ideas, yet they never come to fruition.
Innovation is a combination of ideas and hard work. What you create as a result of what you
have learned is imperative in this process of an innovator.
7.
Resilient – Things do not always work on the first try you them. An innovator learns from failure and
makes adjustments to their plan to lead to success. This is something great teachers model daily in their
teaching, they modify and adjust as needed while they turn good ideas into
great ones.
8.
Reflective – What worked for you and your students? What didn’t? What
could we do better next time? What would we do differently? It is
important that we sit down and reflect on our learning as students, teachers,
leaders, and innovation. In a time
of pacing guides and preparing for the test we often over look this step, yet
reflection is probably the most important part of education as the connections
we make on our own is where the deepest learning happens.
As teachers and leaders, it is critical that we create a culture
where the 8 characteristics are not only accepted but celebrated and encouraged. Being “innovative” should no longer be
a buzzword, it should be an expectation that we embody the “Innovator’s
Mindset” at all levels to meet the learning needs of each student that passes
through our doors, and help them toward a successful future in a global society.
