2017 has been all about Stepping out of my Comfort Zone! I have spent much of my life staying in that comfortable spot , not wanting to venture out and explore the unknown. Wow! I sure was missing a lot! Back in August of 2016, I decided to pursue my Masters in Administration, something I had done many years earlier, but life got in the way and things were put on hold. When I made this decision, I also made the choice to face many fears and many feelings of inadequacies combined with a lack of confidence. Now the journey is almost over and what a change that it has created in my life! Once I stepped out of the comfort zone, I then questioned why it took me so long! Why did I wait? Putting all though questions aside, I am so glad that I did it!
As I read Innovator’s Mindset for the second time, the quote from John Maxwell plays in my head- “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” Couros (2015) says we choose whether or not we will grow, change or innovate.
We do have to choose to make the change and grow as learners which ultimately requires us to step out of our comfort zones.
“Change is an opportunity to do something amazing. Perhaps the amazing thing we can do is make growth mandatory- for ourselves as educators, as well as for our students. That is how we can truly serve our children. The innovator’s mindset is necessary for all of us to move forward” (Couros, p.27).
Doing the amazing thing means stepping out of the comfort zones. Sometimes , as educators we get settled in that comfort and it is hard to take a step out. But as is proven, when we venture out, incredible things can happen! What stops us?…. Fear? Uncertainty? Or the recurring question, “why change what we have always done, especially if it is working?” But isn’t that mindset doing a disservice to our students. Don’t they deserve more? YES, they do! Our students deserve to experience the amazing! They deserve to see their teachers take a step forward to venture through the unknown. Vulnerability is important for them to see. I speak to my students everyday about stepping out of their comfort and facing their fears. I encourage it! I also share my experiences with them and show them that I, too, have felt fear. When we put ourselves in vulnerable spots and model that for our learners, they begin to feel comfortable and safe to take a risk. All of that revolves around building relationships with your students within a safe and comfortable environment.
Change and growth are essential to the Innovator’s mindset and to the evolution of a new generation of learners who take risks and face fears! We need to step out of our comfort zones and be a model for our students! Great things will happen when we create that environment!
I will agree that it is very hard for many teachers to step out of their comfort zone. It is necessary that we model risk taking for our students. Status quo does not yield innovation.