Henri Matisse said that “creativity takes courage.” That’s true whether creating innovative art, innovative solutions to everyday challenges, or innovative learning models. For educators heading into yet another school year filled with uncertainty, it takes courage just to go into the classroom every day. It takes even more courage to push the boundaries and imagine what comes next.
The pandemic amplified the limitations of traditional learning and created a unique window to reimagine education. As a community of educators, school leaders and parents, we have the opportunity to gather our collective creative courage to make good on this moment, and support kids in developing the skills they need to thrive in a fast changing world. The same maker mindset that we aim to cultivate in our students can help guide us as we navigate continued uncertainty and work collectively to remake our approach to teaching and learning.
A maker mindset is about collaboration, adaptability, resilience, and creative problem-solving. These are the skills that we all need to lean on right now — and they are the backbone of the creative courage we will need moving forward. Having a maker mindset is about opening up new possibilities and welcoming new perspectives. It’s about taking risks, asking the right questions, and working together to find solutions.
Nobody has all the answers, and that’s exactly the point.
Yes, it’s scary. Yes, it’s stressful. Yes, it’s easier to simply fall back on the familiar. But if we move forward together with creativity and courage, we can provide our kids with the education they need — and deserve.