Chapter 3: Designing the Culture for Learning and Innovation

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Preview: In the 2013–2014 school year, I was on Washington Middle School’s campus regularly. I was supervising teacher candidates at a local university, and as the newest member of the team, I ended up being placed at Washington—the most challenging of schools. I vividly remember walking down the halls marked with yellow caution lines to indicate on which side the kids were expected to walk. I immediately felt anxious about following the rules about where I should be walking, and I could only imagine how the students felt . . .

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The school you walked into today does not have to be the school you walk into tomorrow. If we allow ourselves to believe this idea, so much becomes possible. We can begin imagining places of learning that adapt, evolve, and respond to the advancements of the modern world and the unique needs and aspirations…