This article conceptualises how disruptions to conventional teaching models may lead to innovative practice. We have identified a gap in current knowledge around how innovations in higher education teaching and learning are initiated in times of crises. Disruptive Innovation Theory and Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation Theory are used as lenses to understand how academics’ epistemic positioning impacts the implementation of educational innovations, and how such innovations fundamentally change practice. We use COVID-19 restrictions as an illustrative example to deconstruct the catalysts for academics’ experimentation with new digital tools, new ways to connect with their students, and novel means of facilitating collaborative learning strategies in the online space. This study makes a distinctive and original contribution by revealing three characteristics of disruptive tools, practices, and mindsets in Initial Teacher Education that differ from the typical efficiencies in other markets.