When I was first told that I would be attending some PD days on “Innovation teaching, learning and leadership” I thought to myself  “here is the next bandwagon in a long line of bandwagons that we should embrace.” I was feeling overwhelmed with all the “new” strategies, ideas and learning opportunities that were coming my way. I was just about maxed out!

Then I read George’s book The Innovator’s Mindset. Finally, something I can wrap my head around without loosing my mind. Reading this book made me really think about how I run classroom and how I can change it for the better by implementing a few basic changes. Mind you, giving up executive authority is hard. Like it has been said before, we teach the way we were taught. Handing over some authority and leadership to the students is hard. However, I like to think that I am an open-minded individual, an on-going learner, and that this change will benefit all in the long run.

Being someone who is comfortable with technology, I thought this PD would show me new and exciting ways to use it in the classroom. It’s a lot more than that. I am trying to keep in mind that technology is just a tool we use to help us be innovative and creative. The use of social media, on the other hand, is something I am not used to. I do not Facebook, Instagram and, until very recently, Tweet. The use of these platforms has opened up a whole new learning curve for myself. The benefits to education are obvious now, so I look forward to embracing them in the coming days.

The Innovator’s Mindset has made me take a closer look at my classroom teaching style, and find ways to “empower learning and unleash talent” among my learners, including myself. I look forward to the rest of our meetings.

 

Allan Grimsley

Principal Sparling

Cluster 2010