When I was little, I remember unwrapping gifts on holidays and birthdays and getting excited to see what was beneath that floral or polka dot paper. Much to my surprise, it was rarely a plain brown box underneath that wrapping paper.  I have an aunt who loved to put that unique gift inside of an old shoebox, in a paper towel cardboard tube, or even in the shipping box for frozen tater tots! I consider myself fortunate to have family that was dedicated to boxing items creatively.  (Besides, it would often lead to the ever-comical statement of “WOW! I always wanted Tator Tots!  Awesome!”)  As exciting as the new gifts inside were, the versatility of the boxes were even more thrilling.  In time, the shoebox would become a diorama for a grade school book report, the paper towel tube would become a telescope or musical instrument, and the Tator Tot box would become the perfect storage box to organize my baseball cards.

“The Box” has contributed to the growth of children and adult imaginations everywhere.  Boxes can be spaceships, racecars, castles, and even a supersonic time transporter (patent pending)! With unlimited possibilities and virtually zero limitations, why do we, as educators and leaders, often find ourselves looking for that “prepackaged” idea or concept inside of the box?  How often do you ask yourself or go in search of what’s been done in the past?  In a field where we are influential innovators, shouldn’t we be demonstrating more creativity and encouraging our students and peers to do the same?  Instead of confining assignments and projects to a predetermined outline, what is the harm in pushing the boundaries and expanding our horizons?  After all, isn’t life more fun and interesting when we think outside of the box?

Mandy Briggs, UW Oshkosh