by: Donna Giachetti
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a teacher.
If you spend more than an hour a day with kids—from 1 to 100 (in age and quantity)—chances are you’re a teacher.
If you’ve grinned at our Facebook comics or said “I need that!” while clicking through our website, chances are you’re a teacher.
But what is a teacher?
Here’s what the dictionary says:
Source: Merriam-Webster dictionary online
At Educational Innovations, we define teacher a bit differently. Whether you’re in charge of a classroom, a nursery school, a Girl Scout troop or “just” a houseful of curious kids, you are a teacher.
- Are you naturally curious?
- Do you like to explore how—and why—things work (or don’t work)?
- Are you enthusiastic about sharing what you know?
- Have you ever felt the satisfaction of that “light bulb” moment?
- Do you take as much pleasure in the process as you do in the result?
- Do you have a sense of humor about yourself and your mistakes?
- Can you collaborate with others in a way that strengthens EVERYONE’S experience?
If you answered Yes to these questions… well, you know what you are.
You might be showing a toddler how to blow on a pinwheel or teaching a teenager how to change a tire. Either way, it boils down to the same thing. It’s all about those moments of connection.
This is how we define a teacher:
At Educational Innovations, we’re teachers, too. You might have noticed that our catalogs proudly identify us as “Teachers Serving Teachers.” For us, it’s not a tagline or gimmick—it’s the reason why we come to work every day.
Our company was founded in 1994 by master teacher Ron Perkins, whose creativity and passion was recognized wherever he went. Ron had a knack for sharing knowledge in a way that sparked students’ curiosity. And he had an awesome basement workshop where he perfected many of the dazzling demonstrations he shared with other teachers. (For a brief history of Educational Innovations, click here.)
While we’re exploring definitions, here’s another good word to add to your personal inventory. It’s a fitting description of every team member at Educational Innovations.
Source: Merriam-Webster dictionary online
Doesn’t sound especially romantic but we take pride in wearing many hats. Our customer service managers can answer just about any question you have—and if they don’t know the answer, they’ll find out!
Take a peek in our offices and you’re likely to find a few of us huddled around a prototype for a new product related to magnets, air pressure or something else that we’re sure science teachers will love. A few of us are quizzically trying to figure out how it works, and of course there’s Ted, who is keen to explain the science lurking behind the “Super! Wow! Neat!” appeal.
(Thanks, Ted!)
Like we said, it’s all about those moments of connection. For Educational Innovations, those connections started in a classroom, moved their way into someone’s basement, and expanded to our offices in Bethel, CT, where we spend our days doing our best to spread our excitement for learning to our customers—you, the teachers.
We’d like to thank you for your continued support, and invite you to enjoy this short video. Say hello to Ken, Ian, Nina, Kris, Will, John, James and, yes, Ted.