From Teacher to Innovator: How Small Classrooms Spark Big Change
Sep 15, 2025When we think about innovation in higher education, we often picture new technologies, large-scale initiatives, or sweeping institutional reforms. But for many leaders, innovation begins in the classroom — with a teacher, a group of students, and a willingness to try something new.
Dr. Jennifer Brock’s career illustrates this perfectly. She didn’t start in the boardroom of a university; she started in a high school science lab. With limited resources, she learned to innovate on a shoestring — designing experiments, motivating students, and finding ways to make science come alive.
That mindset carried forward. When she transitioned into higher education, she was prepared to build new programs that expanded access for students: stackable certificates, dual enrollment, and eventually large-scale online initiatives. Each step was informed by the lessons she first practiced in small, everyday moments with her students.
The takeaway for leaders is clear: innovation doesn’t have to start big. Sometimes it’s about taking the tools and students you already have and imagining a better way forward. Over time, those small innovations scale into institutional change.
The question is not whether you have the resources of a large university or the latest edtech platform. The question is: are you willing to experiment, adapt, and lead with creativity in the moment you’re in? That’s where transformation begins.
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