What is your Why?

Coming up with a compelling why statement has been more challenging than I thought it would be. A good why will make people not only see things differently, but they will also feel differently. I kept thinking of "why," in terms of my organization, why are we going to embark on this new endeavor, why do we need to do this. It took me some time, but I realized that the why statement had to come from my heart to reach the heart of others. After working on my innovation plan for some time, it had all become about what and how I would be implementing it, not really a why. Suddenly dawned on me; this is the school I went to when I was a kid, its the first school I ever attended in the States after immigrating from El Salvador. This school made such an impact in my life that I decided to come back and teach here. My story was similar to that of the kids that I currently teach, and I wanted to give these students some of the opportunities I wish I could have had as a student here. This is where the reasons for my innovation plan stemmed from. I believe students need to experience learning in a way that will expose them and prepare them for the world outside of their community, thus making their aspirations limitless. In the educational setting, it can be so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of teaching content and testing that we often fail to see beyond the lesson. We are so focused on performance and data that we can sometimes overlook those necessary lifelong skills students will need to succeed in the future. I want to inspire students to dream big, make them aware of what opportunities are out there waiting for them. I genuinely believe that the best way to do that is to partner learning with technology applications to create meaningful experiences that promote and enable creativity, exploration, and critical thinking. This is a magnificent way to redefine student learning and equip them to exceed this demanding world's expectations. To reach the hearts, we must connect to the affective domain; the members of my organization must feel like if we do not allow our students to have these experiences, then we aren't giving them the best possible chance at their future.