Innovative potential of a teacher in a new reality: challenge and response

The article deals with the problem of the professional development of a teacher in the new educational reality and the conditions that ensure the effectiveness of his professional work. Modern challenges (among which the challenge of uncertainty occupies a special place) determines and defines the innovative way of development of education and the teacher today. The innovative potential is considered as a system-forming component in the structure of the teacher's professionalism; features in the development of innovative potential are described using the example of preschool educational institutions and the risks of the management system in ensuring the effectiveness of professional activity are analyzed. Key words: innovation, innovation potential, sense formation, vitality, responsibility, reflection, professional deformation.