Characteristics of the innovative educator
Our educational landscape is changing at a rapid pace and in order to meet the ever-evolving needs our students, educators need to stay abreast of the these changes. Innovative educators share common characteristics that set them apart from others in the field.
Creative*: Not only are innovative teachers creative people, they tend to celebrate creativity in all it’s forms. Innovative educators realize the importance of harnessing and nurturing the creativity of their students. Part of this process includes celebrating difference in students and differentiating instruction to meet the needs of students. Innovative teachers know how important it is to allow students to explore their own creative potential.
Collaborative: Innovative educators value collaboration and thrive in these types of settings. In the article Collaborative Among Educators For True Innovative Programming, Mary Little and Patricia Crawford (2002) point out that “[t]he literature on collaboration discusses the need for a common vision shared by professionals with diverse expertise searching to create an innovative process to enhance the learner outcomes for all involved” (pg. 324). Not only does the collaborative lead to a shared common vision, but it is through collaboration that one gains new insights and perspectives.
Courageous: Innovative educators are at their heart, courageous. They savour opportunities to learn new things are not afraid to take risks in their learning and teaching. They do not view mistakes as failures, but as opportunities to grow and try again. Their courage is inspiring!
Curious: Curiosity is a feature that innovative teaches possess. They are naturally inquisitive and love to explore new ideas.
Connected: Teachers who are considered innovative are connected to the world around them. These connections can digital, community-oriented, and/or oriented toward professional development. Innovative teachers are also deeply connected to the needs of their students.
Compassionate: Compassion is an essential trait that innovative educators must possess. In order to become fully engaged and motivated about learning, students must feel that their teachers care for them. Compassion rules.
Committed: Above all else, the innovative educator is committed to life-long-learning. They realize that this form of commitment is necessary to be truly innovative and provide their students with the best educational experience possible. Innovative educators are also committed to reflective practice. They recognize the value reflection has on improving their teaching!
“Change Agents”: In the article “Characteristics of Teachers as Change Agents (2015), H.R.M.A. van der Heijden et al. stress that innovative teachers can even become “change agents”. “The rapidly changing society of today requires from teachers that they are able and willing to cope with the many challenges of change. In today’s schools, teachers are needed who are real change agents, thus teachers who are willing to learn and change from ‘inside’ (internal drive to reflect and make sense of things) and ‘outside’ (meeting external demands), both individually and in collaboration with others in their schools” (pg. 682). H.R.M.A. van der Heijden et al. note that teachers who are ‘change agents’ are positive, motivating, confident, committed, open to new ideas, and thus, willing to take risks. Moreover, “[t]eachers as change agents [are also] lifelong learners. They might be described as teachers who are eager to learn. Teachers as change agents seem to learn from and through their work, from and with colleagues; they use their agency to take initiatives in order to develop themselves professionally and to improve or change their teaching practice.
Furthermore, the results of this study indicate that real change agents regularly reflect on the quality of their daily teaching practice and education at the school level and act accordingly” (pg. 695). Lastly, the authors indicate that “[t]eachers as change agents seem to be able and willing to collaborate with colleagues and others. The results of this study indicate that teachers as change agents possess collaborative skills and actively take initiatives in working with their colleagues” (pg. 695).
*Some inspiration for the characteristics of an innovative educator was derived from the following online article: 7 Characteristics of An Innovative Educator, written by: Rachelle Wootten.
What do teachers
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Champions
This section of the website has been created in memory of my Grandmother Grace Scott, who began her teaching career in a one-room school house. Not only was she my champion, she was a champion to hundreds of students -many of whom attended her funeral when she passed.
She was extraordinary. *** Rita Pierson, who is a transformational champion says it best. Have a listen and remember: "Every kid needs a champion". |