Being 'disruptive' is all the rage now.
Being innovative, being creative and being a risk-taker are some of the major buzzwords being thrown around in the education community. Additionally, educators who are skeptical and are willing to push the system are seen as the true leaders in education.
Here's the deal... these are not the typical words that describe the typical educator.
Let's be honest, and I'm not saying it's right or wrong, I'm simply calling it the way I see it. The typical educator was good at the game of school. The typical educator played by all the rules and did for the most part exactly as he/she was told and expected. The typical educator probably wouldn't be described by his/her former teachers as someone who was disruptive and someone who took risks.
The typical educator is predictable and conservative and more times than not will take the safe route and travel the road that's been traveled several times before.
Perhaps I'm wrong with this observation, but I find the typical person who gravitates toward the education profession isn't one who we would consider as 'disruptive' and someone who is willing to deviate from 'safe' and take a big risk.
Obviously this isn't true for all who have entered the education profession, but I definitely feel it accounts for the majority of folks who work in education.
So here's the rub... if we want and are expecting educators to be 'disruptive,' innovative, outside the box thinking, and risk-taking individuals, aren't we asking and expecting most folks to be someone they aren't?
Aren't we asking the folks who look the 'best' on paper, appear to be the most reliable and trustworthy with the lives of students, to be and act differently?
Just one of the marbles that is currently rolling around in my head...
Being innovative, being creative and being a risk-taker are some of the major buzzwords being thrown around in the education community. Additionally, educators who are skeptical and are willing to push the system are seen as the true leaders in education.
Here's the deal... these are not the typical words that describe the typical educator.
The typical educator is predictable and conservative and more times than not will take the safe route and travel the road that's been traveled several times before.
Perhaps I'm wrong with this observation, but I find the typical person who gravitates toward the education profession isn't one who we would consider as 'disruptive' and someone who is willing to deviate from 'safe' and take a big risk.
Obviously this isn't true for all who have entered the education profession, but I definitely feel it accounts for the majority of folks who work in education.
So here's the rub... if we want and are expecting educators to be 'disruptive,' innovative, outside the box thinking, and risk-taking individuals, aren't we asking and expecting most folks to be someone they aren't?
Aren't we asking the folks who look the 'best' on paper, appear to be the most reliable and trustworthy with the lives of students, to be and act differently?
Just one of the marbles that is currently rolling around in my head...