Tag: #innovatorsmindset

So My Son Has A ‘Stache

by Laura Steinbrink, posted in Education

On Wednesday of remote learning week two, I notice my son has hair growing on his upper lip. When did that happen? I vaguely remember him saying he was shaving, but I clearly didn't believe him. My post isn't really about mustaches and eighth graders. Like many parents world-wide, this shift has been stressful for me. I wear many hats in my district, and this time of school closure has increased my workload. I feel the anxiety and stress creeping in the minute I wake up and ponder my "to do" list. Sound familiar?

The Learning Jukebox

by Laura Steinbrink, posted in Education

I recently took my mom to her hand surgery in the wee hours of the morning. She had to check in at 6:30 a.m., and we were an hour and a half away. As I drove her car before the sun or chickens were up, her CD (Yes, CD. Mom doesn't have an aux cord or Spotify) player plus copious amounts of caffeine helped me stay awake. As we listened to the songs of her childhood, I began thinking about our eclectic taste in music and how it evolves as we grow older. And as I pondered this and avoided the deer emerging from the trees to cross the road, I thought about how we are often unwilling to be eclectic and let our mindset, tools, and strategies evolve in education.

Dear Educator: You’re Doing It Wrong

by Laura Steinbrink, posted in Education

It takes a certain kind of person to be innovative. Having the passion and conviction to follow through, to take the risk despite the critics and road blocks, is tough. The old saying, If it were easy, everybody would be doing it, still holds true today. It isn't easy to hear over and over again that you are doing it wrong. It won't work. You are making a mistake. The fact is though, if we never break from the status quo to try something out of the norm, we are left with sameness and miss out on amazingness.