Adaptability

Fall is a time for change. Change is often hard but is also a natural part of life. If you are not changing, you are not living. Being adaptable is being able to adjust to new conditions. Day in and day out, the good teachers adapt and adjust what goes on in the classroom to the needs of their students.

The State of New Jersey defines adaptability as "The ability and willingness to cope with uncertain, new, and rapidly changing conditions on the job, including responding effectively to emergencies or crisis situations and learning new tasks, technologies, and procedures." In this 21st century, our kids will need to be able to adjust and adapt to a rapidly changing world if we are to be competitive in a global economy.

So how do we teach our kids to be adaptable? A curriculum that focuses on decision-making, performance, group work, self-evaluation, and autonomy. What we need is a balance between learning how to work in a group and being an independent thinker. Balance. Change. Collaborate. Adapt. Adjust. Think.

As a teacher, how adaptable are you? In 1991, Jamie McKenzie came up with an Adaptability Quotient Scale. I think it is still a good reflective tool today. Take a look.