Guiding Learning with Genius Hour

GENIUS HOUR

I hope I am not the only one who had these thoughts as I first began to see teachers all over Instagram & Twitter implementing Genius Hour in their own classrooms.

Here is a quick overview for those of you who are unfamiliar with the process. According to geniushour.com, "Genius hour is a movement that allows students to explore their own passions and encourages creativity in the classroom. It provides students a choice in what they learn during a set period of time during school. The search-engine giant, Google, allows it’s engineers to spend 20% of their time to work on any pet project that they want. The idea is very simple. Allow people to work on something that interests them, and productivity will go up."
Long story short, if it's good enough for Google it's good enough for me! 

My campus is going to have a beyond C R A Z Y schedule the next couple of weeks to prepare for our new school *dedication. (Dedication: a giant production put on for the community and school stake holders 'christening' the school which involves a play, musical performances and a whole lot of preparation including 10 of my 17 kiddos being pulled out every morning from 8-10 am for rehearsal. My week is going to be a mess. The dedication is going to be amazing.) With that being said, I have decided that this is the week that I introduce Genius Hour. Real talk, I'm nervous. 

I have been scouring the internet and social media to gain knowledge and courage for my Genius Hour maiden voyage. The power of the internet has provided me with a lot to look at for inspiration. Take Kayla Delzer of Top Dog Teaching. She is implementing Genius Hour with 2nd graders, surely my 4th graders can handle this...right? Or Jill Wright, her 3rd graders are using Genius Hour- this is going to be a breeze. Jen Regan's shared on her Instagram  that she was a little nervous about her 4th graders' ideas, but it seems like they are KILLING Genius hour. 

I've got a plan in place. I have done lots of research. Genius Hour is going to be a hit. 

Hopefully.

I will update this post by the end of the week to let ya'll know how it's going. Don't forget to follow my Twitter and Instagram: @worsleyontheweb  for updates throughout the week!

Please leave me some positive vibes and encouragement in the Comments section below!