3 Ways To Encourage Innovation In The Classroom

Many students around the country are getting back to in-person learning in the classroom after a year (or more) of online classes and at-home learning. Coming back to in-person will be so rewarding to kids in the long-term, but arriving back to the school setting after taking a break can also bring on a series of challenges. For one, students may be too comfortable with their routine and lesson plan at home, which can hinder innovation and creativity once they're back in the classroom.

As entrepreneurs and business owners know, innovation (or at least an innovative mindset) is critical for success, and practicing innovation should begin for kids in the classroom. Here are three ways to encourage innovation at school after the long break many kids have experienced.

Let them take the lead

It can be tempting to keep a close eye and give rigid instructions for any new projects, assignments, or even the most simple tasks in the classroom. After all, students are bound to be at least a little uncomfortable and unsure of what to do after being away from school. They may even insist that they have no clue how to do things without being led.

However, this could be a good time to nudge students out of their comfort zones and encourage them to take the lead even if they are unsure (or sure they have no clue). Whether it be a worksheet or writing assignment, or even a hands-on project or activity, ask them to start on their own, and see what happens.

Teach self-reflection

Often in school, students take tests and finish assignments to get them marked up and sent back with a grade. Although they can see what they got wrong and might participate in a class review, the lesson then quickly moves onto the next assignment without much chance to reflect on what went wrong or how to improve.

Instead, consider carving some time out of the day to encourage students to reflect on things they have done and how to make them better. Kids can reflect on their time from learning at home, as well, and what they would like to improve now that they are back in the classroom. If there are wrong answers on tests or missed parts of projects, students can be required to discuss this or fill out a worksheet on how they could improve in the future. Thinking about improvement and the future are necessary for innovation.

Get comfortable with failure

Finally, in order to be truly innovative, we must become comfortable with failure. When trying something new (or trying something at all), everyone is bound to make mistakes.

Ask students to try something on their own, even if it is likely that they will do it wrong. You can encourage them to answer a question they know will be wrong, just so they can reflect and try to figure out the right answer. Facing failure, and prevailing, will build confidence and enforce problem-solving, which is necessary for becoming a strong innovator.

With the skill of facing failure, students will grow to be able to prepare themselves for any setbacks, face hard times with a good attitude, and deal with rejection. As they become more comfortable with failure, a life full of successful innovation and expanding creativity will become more and more possible.