The Death of Innovation

Watch the video: 

The first time I saw this guy was about three years back when I was watching the documentary Waiting for Superman.  That's Geoffrey Canada the CEO and President of Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ).  HCZ is a non-profit organization that supports families living in Harlem through various programs that include public charter schools.  Let's just say that this guy is actually doing something right.

But, there's one thing in particular that I truly got out of this video and that was the part about innovation.  I have experienced it first hand.  People in the world of education are literally afraid of innovation.  They're afraid of change.  Afraid of new ideas.  Afraid of new approaches.  Every time I come up with something new or try a new activity I'm being asked, "Why".

Why?  How is it going to work?  What does it have to do with that standardized test that they're going to be taking in spring?  How will it improve their test scores?

They're afraid of innovation.

 "Well Ms. P just do what we learned in our professional development.  Ms. P I tried this last year at my old school so it's definitely going to work here.  I need you to implement it now. "

And the best one..."Don't make it harder on yourself".

What do I do?  I keep innovating.  I keep searching on the web for new ways to teach my kids.  I keep reading books about teaching.  I keep buying resources.  I mean I'm a teacher!  It's my job to teach kids. Of course I'm going to try and find another way to teach these kids if one way doesn't work.  I work with these kids everyday.  I know why 6th grade Johnny over there can barely read a sentence and 8th grade Susie doesn't understand that question.  I work with them EVERYDAY.  I mean think about it.

No really think about it.

See?

It makes sense doesn't it?  So why is just so dang hard to get people to let you do your job?  You're already telling me WHAT I have to teach.  Now you're going to tell me HOW I'm going to teach it too? What's the point of being a teacher?  I want to be a teacher because it's an innovate and creative field or at least it's supposed to be.

So here's what I'm learning:

1.  You can come up with all the great ideas that you have but when I come into your classroom I want to see you do this, this, and this, and oh yeah this.

2.   Whenever you come to me with an idea you better have an example of how it's going to help raise our test scores because we need to make sure that they look great on those nice graphs and charts.

Hence, the death of innovation and the beginning of conformity.

-Ms. P