A few days ago there was a front page article in the New York Times about a teacher who was using stand-up desks in her classroom, maybe fifth graders .  These desks looked like regular desks except they were obviously taller.  The kids could stand behind them or use a stool for sitting.  I think the teacher had designed the desks herself and her desks were gaining popularity throughout her district.

The idea was simple, to get kids to stop fidgeting in their seats they could stand instead.  According to teachers using the desks the kids were more focused when they stood and had more energy.  The desks had the added benefit of helping kids burn a few more calories then they would in a normal sitting desk.  In short, this is a noteworthy educational innovation --it helps kids stay focused and improves student health at the same time.  As the teachers said, "you never see a kid with his head down at a stand-up desk."

I'm happy anytime I see a positive article in the paper about teachers and I thought this was a really neat story.  I'm not sure if it is front page news, but I'm no editor.  But I couldn't help thinking, "is this what innovation looks like in our profession?  New kinds of desks?" 

Where are the innovations in curriculum, instruction, behavior management, materials, classroom culture and the learning environment?  Are the brains of the leaders in our profession so drained that the best we can come up with is stand-up desks?  Or worse, is the system we use to educate our kids designed to resist innovations? 

We still use IQ tests to gauge the "intelligence" of our students when determining their need for special services.  I think the IQ test dates to 1938, or there abouts.  We still call kindergarten, well, kindergarten.  Isn't that a 19th century German approach to education?  Sure we have gone from chalkboards to smart boards in many classrooms, but has that really changed anything? 

According to the teacher from the article, she has taught for around 20 years and one day the idea of stand up desks simply came to her.  Really?  Really.  20 years and she came up with stand up desks?  Maybe we need some incentives for teachers to speed up the innovation cycle a little bit.  Maybe growth, change and innovation need to be important in our educational system.