When is the last time you innovated in the classroom? Are you sitting in your comfort zone? There’s something to be said for cruising in the comfort zone to perfect your previous innovations, however it’s not a place to stay long term.
The comfort zone is the place where you know what to expect, you can predict the student responses and reactions, and there are not many surprises in what the students create.
Innovation happens when you are willing to take risks, willing to fail as a learning opportunity to improve upon, and willing to get a little messy with your students. Things will not be perfect but the learning opportunities that are available to your students abound.
The great thing about stepping out of your comfort zone is that you can take little steps or take a giant leap, whatever feels right to you. To help the process seem a little less scary, the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning is here to help you. Would you like to try to flip a class, or an entire course? We have a Flipped Classroom Institute to help you get on your way with research based practices and supports. Would you like to try engaging your students with a clicker system? We have a workshop series on Student Response Systems as well as trainings and demos on Top Hat. Interested in something else? Contact us and we would be happy to help you build the innovative space that doesn’t make it feel like you’ve dove into the deep end.
Leave a Reply