Before I even started reading this book, I felt a little awkward.

“Am I an innovator?”

I mean, I want to be. I really buy into the disruption theories. I try to keep on top of research and best practices. But do I truly innovate?

I guess my most honest answer is “sometimes.”

“…our job as educators is to provide new and better opportunities for our students.” (2)

Regarding tech, it’s not the tech that makes learning relevant. A tablet in the hands of a classroom teacher who uses weak instructional practices will still use weak instructional practices.

I think the space/student example is a little weak.

Regarding Dan Brown’s comments: I’m an-risk student myself. I failed 2nd grade because I refused to homework. I only succeeded in high school because I found a “home” in room 124. I got kicked out of college for having a 0.0 GPA. So how did I get here? I know where I lost interest and have tried to prevent that in my classroom.

“We forget that if students fail to leave school less curious than when they started, we have failed them.” Ouch. Do my students leave more curious? I don’t honestly know. By the time I get them, they are just ready to graduate. I find that my curious students are still curious, but I struggle with my reluctant learners: did they learn anything or just do assignments? This is where scaffolding hurts me. If they do the scaffolded assignments AFTER the major work is done, what’s the point? I fall victim to the idea that if I don’t take a grade on it, they won’t do it. But even if I do take a grade, I have a sizable amount of students who don’t do. What’s the solution? If I figure it out, I’ll give KISD a book discount. 😉

I have always called the teachers who refuse to change dinosaurs because they can’t evolve. In fact, I think the word evolve is more appropriate than change.

Time is money in education. It’s sad to me that many times pedagogical practices revolve aid around a budget rather than what creates the most effective classroom environment.

I really feel like in my time in Klein, PD has been making a shift. I feel like the GT program is historically where we spent our time innovating, while the level classes got left with worksheets, bland audio books, and busy work.

I feel like PLC can be the time for innovation, but not always. Your group has to have the same goals and values for it to work.

Be more dog? Be more PIRATE! Dave Burgess stole my shtick!

Students are so used to being told that they have to write a certain page number, a certain word count, to write their thesis WITH THREE REASONS. Why? Is easier for the teacher, honestly. Just teaching one thesis makes it simple for examples and assessment. But writing is not one size fits all. The three-prong thesis may work often, but not always.

We have to support our risk takers and people who actively work against pedagogical golden calves. It’s hard work, teaching and working and modeling and grading and giving feedback and learning and… it goes on and on.

“focus on the learner rather than the administrator” We ask have different roles. We see things through different lenses. It’s not “us versus them.” At least it shouldn’t be.

The adjacent possible. THIS is what frustrates me the most! It is so tantalizingly close, but I’m never able to get there. I know what I want to do. I know how to do it. I just need the time to do it.

I can’t change anyone. I model. I explain. I share my experiences. I talk about control. And I start with baby steps. I push a lot of boundaries and I create a lot of frustrating for myself. Like with Schoology. I want to get the data from tests and rubrics. I learned the hard way NOT to put zeros or mark assignments as missing in Schoology. But I don’t expect everyone to do that. I LIKE figuring things out and solving problems. But if I can get my colleagues to feel comfortable with grading using rubrics in Schoology, I’ll be happy! Then we can have a new goal next year.

I’m buying in after the introduction. I realize that I because I’m a problem solver and always looking for the next door to open, I might focus on I need to fix or improve. I take it personally when my students don’t do the activity that I ask. Why? What can I do? There are days that I feel so defeated because there is nothing more that I can give them except a smile and opportunity to fix their mistakes.