innovation Archives - John Spencer

Mar 06 2025

Taking a Beta Approach to Teaching and Innovation

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Teacher Life 6 Comments

This week, we explore the concept of "teaching in beta"—a mindset that embraces imperfection and experimentation in the classroom. Learn how veteran teachers are innovating with new strategies, taking creative risks, and continually iterating on their lessons to foster resilience and growth in both students…

Aug 22 2021

10 Creative Risks to Take With Your Students This Year

By John Spencer Innovation, Mindsets, Podcast 2 Comments

We aren't sure what this year will look like. With the spike in Covid cases, it might involve more hybrid or virtual learning. Or it might be more of a "return to normal." But regardless of the situation, we do know that teachers will continue…

Dec 27 2019

The Power of a Mid-Year Reboot

By John Spencer Creativity, Empowering Students, Podcast No Comments

So, it's the beginning of the year and all around I'm hearing conversations about New Year's Resolutions. One friend is going Paleo, another is doing Cross Fit, and still, another has decided she's going to read 100 books in a year (which might be doable if you…

Jul 22 2019

Here’s How to Empower Students While Also Hitting the Standards

By John Spencer Creativity, Empowering Students One Comment

Student ownership sounds like a great idea but what about the standards? How do we teach all of the standards while also empowering students with voice and choice? How do we accomplish this when we have a curriculum map? Rethinking the Curriculum Map It…

Jul 02 2019

Four Things P.E. Teachers Can Teach Us About Innovative Teaching

By John Spencer Innovation, Podcast 4 Comments

Six years ago, I led my first PBL workshop for a group of high school teachers. It was the summer after my tenth year in the classroom and I felt fairly confident that I could facilitate a whole day of professional development. I knew, for…

Jun 23 2019

Always Play the New Teacher Card

By John Spencer Innovation No Comments

For the last month, I've traveled everywhere from Hawaii to Washington (short drive, actually) to Indiana to South Carolina delivering keynotes and leading workshops on empowering students with voice, choice, and ownership. Each time, I've had the opportunity to hear stories about the design thinking…

Aug 24 2018

Ten Old-School Tech Skills Your Students Never Had to Deal With

By John Spencer Innovation, Podcast No Comments

I was born in the Ice Age, when Ice Cube, Ice-T, and Vanilla Ice were all the rage. If you had told me as a child that Ice-T would someday play a cop on TV, I would have thought you were crazy. As a kid,…

May 19 2018

Using Design Thinking to Innovate in Your Own Practice

By John Spencer Creativity, Design Thinking, Podcast 5 Comments

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to deliver an opening keynote and closing talk for EdEx, a conference in Eindhoven (in the Netherlands). When Jochem first shared his idea of a weeklong design expedition, I imagined teachers working in a makerspace, designing a…

Sep 29 2017

We Need to Trust Teachers to Innovate

By John Spencer Innovation, Podcast 18 Comments

If we want to see innovation happening in our schools, we need to trust, encourage, and empower teachers to transform their practice. Too often, teachers are forced to teach inside the box and it can feel frustrating. In this post, I explore why teachers are…

May 21 2017

School Should Be Impractical (The Practical Benefits of Being Impractical)

By John Spencer Creativity, Creativity Deconstructed, Innovation No Comments

Schools are designed to be practical but this has a hidden drawback. Innovation is often impractical because it's unpredictable. So, what if the push toward "practical skills" in school is actually making learning impractical? And what if impractical ideas and skills we ignore are actually…