Relentless Restlessness

Since the end to the school year, I participated in a book study on The Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros.  (Thank you to Carla Haaven for organizing!)  The book study group met in person several times and responded to questions via Google Classroom.  Great conversations were sparked and additional questions were provoked through our book study.

I am truly amazed these educators took time out of their summer vacation to continue to learn.  Those who participated epitomize what it means to have an innovator’s mindset; “the belief that the abilities, intelligence, and talents are developed so that they lead to the creation of new and better ideas” (George Couros).  It is not surprising since these educators also share many things in common:

• have student-centered, project-based, and innovative classrooms
• are connected educators who willingly learn through reading and Twitter
• participate in #gfedchat, other Twitter chats, book studies, and Edcamps
• are risk-takers who learn from their failures

In The Innovator’s Mindset, George Couros quotes Pixar Director Brad Bird: “organizations that spread and sustain excellence are infused with a ‘relentless restlessness’ - that often uncomfortable urge for constant innovation, driven by the nagging feeling that things are never quite good enough.”

When I was a classroom teacher, my self-imposed rule was “if I ever have time to read the newspaper during my prep time or before or after school, I needed to revisit my quest to improve student learning opportunities and engagement.”  As a classroom teacher and now, I subscribe to a “relentless restlessness” in my continued quest for better for the students we serve.

I am fortunate to learn from and with so many other "relentless restlessness" educators with an innovator’s mindset and I look forward to continuing conversation on the book, The Innovator's Mindset.