An innovator is someone who creates new ways of doing things or comes up with original ideas that change how people live, work, or think. While an inventor might create a new device, an innovator looks at existing problems and finds fresh solutions that others haven't thought of yet.

Thomas Edison was an innovator who didn't just invent the light bulb, he created an entire system for delivering electricity to homes. The Wright brothers innovated by figuring out how to control an airplane in flight, solving a problem that had stumped others. In your own classroom, a student who figures out a clever new way to organize group projects or creates an original approach to studying might be called an innovator.

Innovation requires creativity, but it also takes persistence. Most innovators fail many times before their ideas work. They're willing to try approaches that seem unusual or risky. When Steve Jobs helped create the iPhone, he innovated by combining a phone, music player, and computer into one device that changed how billions of people communicate.

You don't have to invent something world-changing to be an innovator. Finding a better way to help your little brother with homework, organizing your bookshelf so you can find things faster, or creating a new game at recess all show innovative thinking. Innovation starts with noticing problems others overlook and having the courage to try solving them differently.