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In chapter 11, George Couros challenges educators to be global teachers. When discussing the impact on students in the classroom and around the world, he asks, "If this is true, why don't more teachers share what they're learning and how they're teaching?" (The Innovator's Mindset, p.173)

A global impact sounds amazing, but for me, professionally and personally, I feel I need to narrow my focus. My focus needs to be on my current community. I plan to become exceptional in 3-4 areas, and through my laser focus, my impact will spread. Where is my laser pointed? Currently, in two directions: reading to learn and a culture change. No, these are not "innovative" ideas, but these are areas in which my school community needs to grow. So, answering "How?" and "What?" will narrow my focus even more and provide professional and personal growth for me. My "How?" is using global resources such as the Internet and social media to research and reach out to educators on technology, programs, and ideas they have to foster reading to learn and create a change in culture. My "What?" is two-fold: continue to be a learner myself, and to read, read, and read. I may only be one person, but growth begins within me.

"Having a laser-like focus on a few things allows us to go deep and push our thinking, while creating new ideas to move forward." (The Innovator's Mindset, p.164)

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Growth is an opportunity that blossoms over time. Growth, like innovation, is a process. It happens when individuals are provided with the freedom to fail, the desire to wonder and explore, and experiences that foster innovation. Growth is the unwavering root of nurture, firmly planted in learning, patiently providing the learning nutrients needed to open the petals of voice, choice, reflection, innovation, critical thinking, problem solving/finding, self-assessment, and connected learning. Growth is personal and best be tended to daily; otherwise, ambitions, passions, and ideas will wither and die.

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Change is an action or reaction to an event or experience. While innovation is about embracing change to do something amazing, more often than not, change has an expiration date. If something isn't working, "let's change it." This ideology leads to too many initiatives that never come to fruition and individuals feeling like they are "never good enough." On page 125 in The Innovator's Mindset, Couros writes, "Yet we continue to play this game of educational 'whack-a-mole,' where one problem pops up and we focus on that until the next issue arises." Change can be positive, but it will never be in education if the approach continues to be the deficit model. For change to be effective, it needs to be done for the right reasons and with all stakeholder voices being heard. If change is forced, how can anything great come from it?

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George Couros challenges us to use the process of "What if?" Two of my favorite what ifs he mentions are: "What if people were always our first focus?, and What if we empowered students to make a difference in the world today and in the future?" (page 117). I have my own What if to add... What if we emphasize growth over change?

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"It is imperative that we teach learners how to be self-directed and guide their own learning." (The Innovator's Mindset, p. 96)

We are missing the mark on creating environments in which learners are in the driver's seat of their own education. In doing so, students' reaction to change has become complacent and stagnant. I find it odd and frustrating that in an age where technology is readily available, and as Couros asks, "YouTube has become the biggest library of information in the world. So why on earth do some schools block this learning resource from students (and in some places, even educators)?" (The Innovator's Mindset, p. 95) that we are still using models of teaching from decades ago. Students are not reacting to change because educators are stuck using methods, and in many cases, curriculum that is not keeping up with the times. By limiting the access students and educators have to information, a culture of control is the dominant force in far too many classrooms. Again, students do not need to react to change because there is no change occurring. Technology can accelerate learning if we provide students with opportunities to be the driver, and when students take the wheel towards their own learning, talents, passions, and growth will become first place instead of a "did not finish" status.

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"Even when we have the best intentions, sometimes we fall back on what is easy, known, or comfortable-for us." (The Innovator's Mindset, p.144)

Why? This small word has become an often asked question in education today, in an attempt to bring about change. But educators will never be able to answer this question if this is stopping point. Educators also need to be able to answer the questions of "How?" and "What?" In answering these two questions and involving students in the process, true change can occur. Just like the students not needing to react to change, educators don't need to react either. There are two forces handicapping educators: themselves and test scores. Educators are falling back on what is known because test scores have become the focus in education instead of innovation. Educators will always have the best intentions, but if not given the freedom to be innovative, change is only a pipe dream.

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"The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas." -Linus Pauling

Growth is a process; change is a reaction. One idea can bring about a small change, but many ideas will allow for amazing things to happen emotionally, behaviorally, and instructionally as related to change. Emotionally, a shift needs to occur from fear to empowerment. At the beginning of chapter 8 in The Innovator's Mindset, Tom Rath is quoted, "When we build on our strengths and daily successes-instead of focusing on failures- we simply learn more." When failure becomes part of learning, students and educators are more willing to embrace the emotions associated with failure, and in doing so, a shift in mindset can prevail. Behaviorally, the shift needs to become one focused on relationship building and seeing students as people before anything. Students are craving human interaction, and if educators would pause long enough in "getting through the curriculum" to have conversations with the big and little humans in the classrooms, the shift will bring about a culture of respect. Instructionally, the shift needs to relinquish control. Students need to be empowered to become learners, not robots, simply answering standardized questions, and educators need to be given the freedom to hone their craft using their strengths and experience. One idea will not provide growth or change, but a few intentional shifts are a step in the right direction.

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"Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives." (The Innovator's Mindset, p.160)

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Change is inevitable and scary, and shouldn't be experienced alone. As educators, we need to make connections with our students and walk alongside them during times of educational change as well as personal change. My motto will forever remain, "Love, nurture, then educate." In showing my students how much I care about them, their drive to be autonomous and self-determined creates a classroom culture of love and respect where more is achieved and learning is richer.

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Affirmations are a simple and powerful way to encourage a growth mindset. For me, focusing on a growth mindset isn't about the one word "yet," rather it is about focusing on what I can control and what I have the power to change. But as educators, we cannot stop here. We need to show students what affirmations look like in action. It is easy to repeat word after word, but students need the ability and understanding to transform the words into personal actions. In doing so, students become forward-thinking leaders who have been nurtured and have the mindset to be self-determined and independent. This freedom to stand on their own unleashes unlimited potential in the classroom and for their futures.

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Habits can be positive or negative. As I was thinking about how I wanted to address this word or idea, another word popped into my mind: passion. I need to use my passions, which form my habits, to connect with other educators, continue to be a learner, tap into the strengths of my learning community, create ongoing opportunities for innovation, seek more effective methods for measuring progress, and embrace change to use it to do something amazing. It is my habits and passions that make me, me, and I need to continue to grow and help my students grow into innovators by using these things to make progress and move forward.

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"Instead of trying to do everything, let's focus on what we want learners to know and do and select and master resources to create learning experiences aligned with the vision that has been co-created with the community." (The Innovator's Mindset, p.156)

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As educators, we cannot do everything, but we can focus on community and being intentional in how we foster growth and change. Not only can we not do everything, but education isn't meant to be a solo performance. John Seely Brown says, "They have to be interactive producers, not isolated consumers." (The Innovator's Mindset, p.158) Learners, educators, and community members need to work together to create experiences that align with a common vision. The entire community needs to interact with one another to produce confident contributors to the classroom, community, and the future. It is through this collaboration that growth and change will provide a common ground in every classroom, school, and community, and this equality to innovation and moving forward.

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"Diversity is of value, no matter what others might say. I guess we are all different in some special way." This is a quote found in the early pages of Our Diversity Makes Us Stronger, and it explains how cultural, geographic, or institutional contexts influence experiences in growth or change. For growth or change to occur in the first place, educators must show learners that one's personal experiences are what shape an individual, and these differences should always be celebrated. Albert Einstein once said, "The only source of learning is experience." When learners' cultural and geographical experiences are highlighted and celebrated, the learner understands they are truly accepted in a community, and therefore, their experiences can translate into knowledge. This knowledge then empowers learners to wonder, explore, and become forward-thinking leaders.

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Our Diversity Makes Us Stronger | A beautiful story about respect & kindness

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"Education is not the filling of a pail, but rather the lighting of a fire." — William Butler Yeats

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Growth Mindset Example: Learning from Feedback

Using constructive criticism to make positive changes and improve.

Academic Example: Setting and Achieving Goals

Creating incremental goals to master a large task, demonstrating progress over time.

Social and Emotional Example: Developing Coping Skills

Showing increased resilience for managing stress and difficult emotions.

Reflection Example: Asking Questions

Actively seeking to understand and testing knowledge, which leads to deeper comprehension.

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Cognitive Example: Developing New Concepts

Integrating new ideas into understanding, building a deeper framework of knowledge.

Environmental Example: Changing Learning Methods

Shifting from a single method of content delivery to using multimodal methods to better understand and retain information.

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Instructional Example: Student Engagement

Developing strategies to increase student participation through innovative teaching methods.

Personal Example: Self-Reflection

Practicing honest self-reflection to increase self-awareness, adapt teaching methods, and respond to the needs of students.

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Pedagogical Example: Student-Centered Learning

Moving away from traditional methods to focus on and foster the development of 21st-century skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration.

Assessment Example: Formative Assessments

Utilizing formative assessments to identify and bridge learning gaps, and moving away from traditional testing methods.

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What area to you feel needs to most change in education?