TL;DR:
- Genius Hour is a powerful way to keep students engaged and excited.
- By allowing students to explore their passions, conduct research, and create something meaningful, Genius Hour unleashes their potential and fosters a love for learning.
- Reflecting on the experience and sharing their projects with others enhances students’ self-awareness, growth, and presentation skills.
- Genius Hour provides a high-engagement unit with grading done on the spot, making it an ideal activity for the final weeks of school.
How do you keep your students engaged in May? Two words. Genius. Hour.
Your students are burnt out and you are burnt out. Field trips, state testing, and award ceremonies interrupt your rhythm. It is the end of the school year and you want to keep the learning purposeful and the engagement high. For the past three years, I have ended the year with Genius Hour. Every year I am more and more amazed by what these seventh graders create.
How I Discovered Genius Hour
As I began teaching Language Arts, I knew I wanted to offer creative outlets and choice in student writing. I had heard of Genius Hour, also known as Passion Projects. I talked to a teacher who had already implemented this in her classroom years before, I went online and read countless articles about it, and watched videos to give me more of an understanding of how to incorporate it into my plans for the year.
I discovered Google had what they called “20% time” which allowed their employees to spend 20% of their time on a project they wanted to pursue. Teachers around the world began embracing this concept in their classrooms in order to encourage creative thinking in productive ways.
I decided I wanted to focus on the fundamentals of Genius Hour: choose an essential question to explore with research, design something creative, then share it with one another. One of the things I love about Genius Hour is it unleashes something within students beyond what I can teach.
One of the things I love about Genius Hour is it unleashes something within students beyond what I can teach. Click To TweetHow to Implement Genius Hour
While this has morphed over the years, it is important to me to keep this project consistent with what my current students were used to: self-pacing with attainable targets over time through frameworks such as The Grid Method. Therefore, we hold Genius Hour meetings on Fridays for about eight weeks. Students brainstorm essential questions, which they learn are not “Googleable,” pitch their ideas to each other, and begin! Students share that they like the weekly check-ins because it helps them stay on target with the Action Plan they develop.
I simply give them the platform to create and they go wild! This year alone, my students began coding, designing the ideal baseball jersey, creating a bracelet business to raise money for St. Jude, creating their own app in order to sell products to raise money for Feeding America, sharing how to start their dog-sitting business, raising awareness about ocean pollution, building a website to share neuro divergencies, how to build a guitar out of wood, learning how to sew plushies, and So. Much. More! While students have some knowledge of their topics, they don’t often pursue researching or executing their plans on their own.
Genius Hour gives them the opportunity to explore their passions and discover what they are capable of doing.
In fact, one student shared, “I learned I am capable of learning new things about myself while doing my Genius Hour Project,” while another student reflected, “I had fun researching and taking notes about Greek Goddesses so I could practice fashion design.”
Publishing for a Real Audience
While there are always mixed feelings about presenting information in front of classmates, I chose to hold a Genius Hour Expo so students could share, but in a less formal manner. One student shared, “I learned I don’t mind talking in large groups of people,” while another reflected, “I learned I need to use fewer words when presenting and just pick the most important things to say.”
It is cool to see how much my students want their peers to enjoy what they have created. For example, sewing, baking, learning to play an instrument, and gardening were projects I noticed students wanting their audience members to try after learning about them during their presentations. This seventh grader summed it up this way: “I liked how you got to create something to share with the world.”
The idea of taking their genius one step further to truly get joy out of a new experience met my goal of learning beyond my classroom. One student stated, “I just wanted to help out beginner artists in their journey to become better artists.” This particular kiddo created a YouTube Channel showing step-by-step instructions on how to draw hands. She discovered in her research it was the most difficult to draw. I mean, how cool is that?!
[scroll down to keep reading]
Reflection Is Essential
Of course, not everything works out as planned. It was important to me to emphasize that learning is in the process, not necessarily the outcome.
If what they designed didn’t work out, it was okay. Asking questions and encouraging them to reflect on their experience concluded our unit after the Expo. Students shared advice for next year’s class with tips like, “Don’t work with your friends unless they are passionate about the same topic you are passionate about,” and “Don’t procrastinate. Spend a little more time on it and don’t rush it.”
The depth of their reflection impresses me. One student said, “If I had to do it all over again, I would have video recorded my interviews instead of just audio.” I also appreciate this student’s reflection: “I recommend choosing something you are interested in and not just something that is easy. Challenge yourself to become a better you.”
Students not only learn about their topic but also about themselves in the process. In my opinion, this reflection is the most valuable part of Genius Hour. I loved this comment on the reflection: “I learned to be more creative and create my own cosplay. I got out of my shell. I recommend future students choose their own path no matter what other people think.”
Offering Genius Hour to students allows a high engagement unit in the last weeks of school. Bonus? Because students are presenting, I grade on the spot. No outside work! That, my friends, is exactly what this teacher needs in May.
Want more information on Genius Hour? I would be happy to connect with you! Feel free to reach out to collaborate.
About Janel Sebeny
Janel Sebeny is a middle school Language Arts teacher in Normal, Illinois. Janel holds a Master’s in Reading from Illinois State University and is the Past President of Illinois Reading Council. She serves as the PBIS Tier 1 Coach, Language Arts Middle School District Chair, and teacher liaison for Beyond the Books Educational Foundation. She has a passion for literacy and lifelong learning.
Janel is not only reflective in her practice, but also the first to share with others what she learns. In fact, she recently received an Illinois State Board of Education 2023 Those Who Excel Award. While she is not creating engaging and relevant lessons for her middles, she is spending time with family and friends. Janel resides with her husband and three children in Bloomington, Illinois.
