Are You Willing to Fail? An Apple Event School Visit

“Are you willing to fail?” What if this was one of your interview questions when you were applying for your next job?! This was the  “gentle” nudge that the British International School of Houston stuck with when they dreamed big for the vision of their school.

I love how Apple gives educators the ability to visit other schools through their Apple Events. It’s like peaking behind the curtain and letting your curiosity run! Seeing how this K-12 school does things inspires me to be the best I can be when I serve my students, community, and school.

This school showed us the value of empowering students and staff through fostering creativity.

1. Every learner is a creator preparing for the unknown.
2. Teachers are designers creating conditions for their students.
3. Environments matter-they inspire.

the library

The environment of BISH is beautiful. They invite the community onto their campus. Everywhere you turn there is collaborative space. “Neighborhoods” (their grade level hallways) are buzzing with problem-solving and authentic learning. And the challenge proposed by their leadership is: ARE YOU WILLING TO FAIL?

Are you willing to dream so big that failure may happen? This is scary business! Can leadership let their staff flourish enough to trust them to dream big, fail, and dream again?

How can professional development go beyond a technology meeting and look at digital agility in an appropriate way? How do we design PD to be learner-centered (not student, but teacher centered?), customized to the needs of each teacher? How do we as educators put culture and community first, and trust that all the details-the test scores, the data, the prep for the future, will all fall into place?

I feel like I’m full of more questions than answers, but these are the questions that lead to those moments of being willing to fail. I’ll continue to ask the questions and challenge myself and those around me to lean in and do the scary things...and be willing and ready to fail.