I have had the opportunity to hear George Couros speak on two occasions.  Both times left me inspired and wanting to move forward professionally.  I have been a classroom teacher for 11 years and to be perfectly honest, most days I feel frustrated.  How can I be the kind of teacher that I want to be yet put emphasis on a state test that I feel is not developmentally appropriate for the students that I teach?  As a 3rd grade teacher (and I am sure this is true in all grades) I have students with a wide range of needs.  Some students are reading on a 5th grade level and beyond while some are struggling to read on a first grade level.  Somehow how I have to meet everyone on their individual level and make sure that they can pass this test.  Whether it is true or not, testing season is upon us and it feels like all administrators care about is the data and getting as many students to pass as possible.

My intention is not to complain about what I feel to be the shortcomings in the education system but to talk about The Innovator’s Mindset and voice my thoughts and feelings as I read through the book.  If I go off on a rant sometimes, I apologize now!  If you haven’t read the book, I encourage everyone in education to read it.  As soon as I began reading I found myself relating to many of the things George was discussing.

So, here we go…..Chapter 1 reflection coming soon!