Today I had the great fortune to attend the Center for Teaching Quality Teacher Leadership EdCamp led by the amazing Lori Nazaren0. Not only did I get to work with amazing educators from my community, but I worked through a design challenge for the work I have embarked on in my school.
Lori taught us this term, chaordic. It is that space in between total chaos and order. So it has some order to it, but allows room for chaos as well. It is the place where creativity and innovation bloom. If there is too much order, there cannot be innovation. If there is too much chaos, it stresses people out.
She modeled the notion of chaordic beautifully today as we met in groups we identified mattered to us.
When I told my husband about this word and explained it to him, he laughed and said, “Isn’t that where life is lived? Don’t we try to manage it, but then realize it can’t be done?” He’s so right. When we try to overmanage, we lose the fun, the innovation, the creativity, right?
robbinswriters 
I think chaordic is my new favorite word! Your explanation was fabulous, and I bet listening to the speaker was amazing. I agree with your husband…I think that life is lived somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. I also think this word could describe my school desk…it’s not messy, it’s chaordic. It has a nice ring… 🙂
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I’m thinking that most of us live in this word from time to time! Love how it rolls off my tongue!! Thanks for sharing!!
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I love learning new words!! This one works in so many contexts!
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Chaordic–what an awesome word! Perhaps that could be a OneWord, OLW for us all. I definitely want to know more about how one lives, works, and thrives being chaordic. I will be looking up your speaker from today and hoping that I can put order in my chaos and chaos in my order while all the while having a sense of control as I allow for innovation to blossom. Finding the balance and hovering in the center of the Venn–how cool! I hope you blog about how this idea is lived as you try to make it happen. I’ve written of peace in the chaos before–perhaps being chaordic helps this happen. Thanks for sharing. LOVE!
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Oh, love EdCamps and I love your new word this explains the best classrooms I work in. One where kids are engaged and learning (not super quiet) and yet the kids still seem to know exactly what it is they are to do to do the learning! Often times the teachers are on the sidelines coaching. It is really awesome. Thanks for sharing and giving me a word to use to explain this phenomenon.
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