Although ideation plays an important role in the planning process, it's innovation that really kicks things into gear and forces us to take action on these ideas. Being innovative means that we are willing to constantly change and refine our units, redesign our teaching space, structure our lessons differently, and expect to experience failure along the way.
Innovation is very different than ideation in this respect, but both are needed to bring out the very best in our teaching and in student learning.
Innovative teachers rarely teach their units in the same way from year to year. They understand that there is a lot of room for flexibility in the curriculum to teach differently. They never allow themselves to stagnate and are never bored as their teaching always remains fresh and new.
How innovative are you in your teaching practice? What conditions allow you to be your best innovative self? How do you take action to ensure you are continually refining your individual teaching practice and the program that your department delivers to students?