TL;DR:
- Choosing the right work atmosphere can add a beautiful spin on your solution-seeking mindset.
- Rae shares an activity you can participate in to narrow down your best work environment to foster your new idea.
When the topic of “Implementing a New Idea” was recommended as a theme of Daily Drop In for the first week of the Morning Show re-launch, I was conflicted. As educators, we implement new ideas all of the time. Students make a wacky face after a lesson indicating they did not understand your mini-lesson. Or a parent calls with tricky news requiring you to pivot to support their new challenges. Each and every moment of a classroom teacher’s life is about minor adjustments or throwing out the last great idea for the next creative concept. And to be honest, I truly believe educators have not grasped how often they choose to get uncomfortable and be that solution-thinking problem-solver because they do it so often.
Educators are an incredible breed. The absolute best.
So, how do you help an educator implement a new idea when they may simply be an unaware professional at it already?
There are a number of strategies to help any educator implement a new idea. One idea not mentioned in the new Teach Better Academy Course (Your New Idea Done Right), is choosing to do the creation, reflection, and remedial tasks in an environment that inspires you. Choosing to work within a warm environment that inspires you to foster creative thinking can add substantial sustainability to any task you are working on. Let’s break down how to build your perfect space.
During the first few weeks of COVID-19, educators around the world scrambled to support their virtual learners. Resources were tight. Information was unknown. Communication was limited. However, many educators I worked with chose to support their learners with an initial activity to foster a learning space. Where in their household could they work, with limited distraction, when learning time was necessary?
With a safe space for learning full of opportunities to reset your mind and think creatively, nothing can stop an intrinsically passionate educator with an idea. Click To TweetLet’s begin by trying that same activity together for ourselves with a few minor tweaks!
Pause here for a minute and grab a piece of paper. On the paper, sketch out your perfect workspace. Do not limit yourself to only a desk, but explore the whole room.
Done with that?
Take it up a notch! If you have not done so already, visit your 5 senses. What does the room smell like? Sound like? Or feel like? Are you bundled up because it’s chilly or are you sitting in the sunshine?
Now go even deeper! Get creative!
What if I told you there was an unlimited budget? What if limitations didn’t exist and you could sit on the beach, in a snowstorm, with the sun on your face, next to a mountain, with a dinosaur, mimosa in hand, and 12 rainbows in the sky? (Ok, I got a little carried away there.)
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Satisfied with your drawing?
Great! The next step is to better understand WHY you wanted all of those things in your image. Why did you choose the music you did? Why did you choose your seat to be near the window? Or why is there a unicorn in the corner? Why is it sunny?
What do these pieces say about the elements that bring you joy in life?
Better understanding our dreams and the elements of the world that inspire us can help foster those environments in our current reality. This then, in turn, can allow you to secretly live in your dream space even on the gloomy days when you are hungry for inspiration.
When implementing a new idea, you will encounter hurdles that may rock your confidence or leave you questioning why you are pursuing this challenge in the first place. While there are countless supports for how to move beyond this feeling of defeat, choosing the right atmosphere can add a beautiful spin on your solution-seeking mindset.
Measurables, building a community, and continual reflection are essential elements of any idea implementation, but with a safe space for learning full of opportunities to reset your mind and think creatively, nothing can stop an intrinsically passionate educator with an idea.
See the full blog series here!
About Rae Hughart
Rae Hughart is the Chief Marketing Officer and co-owner of the Teach Better Team, Educator, and author of Teachers Deserve It (20) and Teach Better (19) books available on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. In 2017, Rae was honored with the Illinois State University Outstanding Young Alumni Award – inducting her into the University Hall of Fame. In 2018, Rae was honored again by winning 1st place in the Henry Ford Innovator Award for her work within educators communities to build unity between local businesses and schools. And in 2021, Rae was selected to give her first TEDx Talk called “Better Than Youtube,” emphasizing the true value of educators. You can learn more about Rae or book her for Professional Development opportunities within the Teach Better Speakers Network. 