Innovator's Mindset Part Two

I love how part two of this book encouraged me to look inward and reflect on what we have at Merton School.

Relationships.  They are critical and lay the foundation for how we get kids to "work for us" from that point forward.  To me, relationship building seems like a special gene reserved for teachers!  I mean, come on...we're a "natural" at this relationship building stuff, aren't we?  It doesn't seem like anything else could get done without the foundation of building that relationship.  Furthermore, I think building relationships is one of the best parts of my job!  Just thinking about it makes me smile!  

Here is a great quote found on page 90:  "When people know they are valued and safe in trying new things, they are more likely to strive for something new and better."  I think truer words were never spoken.  We are lucky that Jay not only supports the idea of trying new things but encourages it.  Knowing that alone, provides a safety net for people who wouldn't ordinarily take a risk to take that leap of faith and do so.  

I loved the chart on page 103 titled "School VS. Learning" The learning side is so much more exciting to me and one that I aspire to have in my own classroom where we are creating, asking questions, and exploring our passions.  This, in my opinion, is what's best for kids.  This is what keeps kids engaged.  It keeps the classroom fun, energized, and full of life.  Sometimes I think we lose that sparkle when we get mired down in covering the content (pacing), taking away things that once brought joy into the school day, and grades.  I know that grades are a necessary evil, but I struggle with how much emphasis we put on grades and more often than not, at the expense of our kids getting all stressed out and riddled with anxiety.

I will leave you with this quote from Todd Whitaker, "The best thing about being a teacher is that it matters.  The hardest thing about being a teacher is that it matters every day."  I think this is so true.  We only have a certain number of days with these kids, so we have to make each one count.  No question our job is hard...but you know what?  I wouldn't trade it for the world!  I can't imagine doing anything else.