If we always stay in the safe zone then we are not doing what we are meant to do. Taking risks is essential to one’s learning. We must come out of our comfort zone as teachers in order to meet the needs of all of our students. Innovation and change happens when risks are taken and there is a bit of fear and discomfort.
In part 1 of Innovator’s Mindset, Couros discusses the eight characteristics necessary for this mindset to exist. Risk taking definitely struck a chord with me but I cannot address the idea of risk taking without mentioning the first characteristic which is empathy. I believe these two go hand in hand. An empathetic educator thinks about his or her students and looks at the classroom from the perspective of the child. Empathetic educators develop relationships with their students. Relationships play an important role in the success of a child. Teachers need to take the time to learn about their students. When children feel that there is someone who truly cares they are going to feel safe to take risks and ultimately they are going to perform better. This type of environment builds a bridge of trust connecting the teacher and student. When educators know their students then the concept of risk taking can become a reality.
“Not taking the risk to find the right approach for each student might seem less daunting than trying new things, but maintaining the status quo may have dire consequences for our students. “
To me the status quo is just doing the same thing for all students year after year. All students are different and all students change. We need to take the risk to meet the needs of all of our students. I find that what one student needs may not be the same as as another. I am sure we all experience that. In my classroom of thirty second graders they are not all going to learn the same way or need the same things. I always ask myself “Is that best for the student”. This year our district adopted a new ELA series and there are many components to it. One of the big components is the assessments- long assessments, that in my opinion, are too much for a seven or eight year old child to have to tackle. I believe that there are other ways to assess the child and having them take an eight page test is not one of them. I know that I am not maintaining the status quo but I can’t nor will I. It would not be right or fair to my students. I need to do what is best for the children and that takes some risk.
This past week both of my own children, ages 15 and 12 had melt downs about their History classes. Both World History- 7th grade and 10th grade AP. Why do I have to read all this? What is it going to do for me in the future? Why do I need to know this? Why do I have to take notes on all of this? Etc, etc…. Both of my children are not big readers. Their love lies in Math and Science. But I wonder if their teachers actually took the time to build a relationship with them and get to know their passions then maybe their experience in that particular class would be different. I wonder if the teachers took some risks in their teaching then would they be able to grab my children’s attention. Would teacher empathy and risk taking change the result and my children’s mindsets about History? I wonder……
Risk taking and empathy are essential characteristics for an innovator’s mindset. We must take the time to get to know our students and in order to meet their individual needs we must take risks. #Kidsdeserveit