I don’t know if I really am innovative. In fact, I’m scared that I might not be. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to follow through with my innovation plan. That it will be – along with grad school – just a thing I didn’t finish.

Okay so maybe I’ll finish grad school. I’m pretty persistent after all.

But am I innovative?

What makes an educator innovative?

Over-communicate

According to John Kotter – Communicating a Vision for Change, the key to making innovation happen is … well… talking about it. He says that it’s far too easy to under-communicate by huge amounts that will kill change.

There are three parts to talking about change effectively:

How much do you talk about it?

Probably far less than you think you do. Talk about the strategies. Talk about how it ties to the future. Talk to everyone from the highest up to the lowest rung. In fact, look 3 levels down to see the effects of your communication.

Where do you talk about it?

If it’s not everywhere in your corporation, it’s not enough. Saturate people with your vision, your mission, steps to your plan.

What vehicles of communication do you use?

Use them all. YouTube, Twitter, e•mail, newsletters, bathroom stalls. Find a way to communicate your innovation daily. Many ways, preferably.

Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

Honestly – SELL IT.

Keep it real by connecting with real people.

If your lessons and plans don’t connect students or teachers with real people and real situations, you are doing them a disservice. You are holding them back from the opportunity to enact real change.

I guess I do communicate about my innovation plan a little bit. After all, it’s frequently on my mind. While my innovation plan is still in the early stages, I feel confident that I can enact a real change through my plan.

So am I innovative?

I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

References

Kotter, J. (2011, March 23). John Kotter – Communicating a Vision for Change. YouTube. Retrieved December 7, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGVe3wRKmH0

Nielsen, L. (2016, March 13). Are You An Innovative Educator? Here’s How to Find Out. The Innovative Educator. http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.ca/2016/03/are-you-innovative-educator-heres-how.html