Ideas

Ideas.

Ideas are interesting things. Sometimes they come so quickly and prolifically that you struggle to get them written down before they escape into the universe. 

Sometimes you can't even come up with one. It doesn't matter how hard you try, how long you take, you just come up dry. Austin Kleon says that, "You are the sum of your influences." I find this to be true when it comes to ideas. 

They seem to flourish when you are around others with ideas. They compound when you surround yourself with creative influences. Left to your own devices you might find your own ideas lacking, and not very exciting. 

I remember one year my co-worker and I invited anyone who was interested to join us for collaborative planning. We had decided to change the way we looked at our teaching units. Rather than zero in on the specific we chose to go more broad. In our planning sessions we gathered a multitude of ideas, and found that one idea would quickly lead to another.

Our units were creative, engaging and fun for both the students and the teachers. There seemed to be a new excitement in our teaching. We were choosing to look at what we had always done with fresh eyes. Ideas seemed to abound, and we were open to new ways, and more flexible in our teaching. 

My influences were great that year, and I look back fondly at how our common vision benefited our students. I wish I could say every year was like that. Today I find I have to be intentional about looking for that kind of influence. It's easy to remain complacent, but life sure is more interesting when you make the effort to try something new.