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Genius Hour Reflections

We just wrapped up Genius Hour in my seventh grade English class, and there is much to say about that adventure.

The Good Stuff
Even if I felt like a failure most of the time, there were a lot of good things that came from Genius Hour. 
  • Overall, the students said they loved being able to pick what they learned about.
  • During Genius Hour, the majority of students were engaged in their project. 
  • There were some really great presentations and reflections from my students.
  • I had a few parents thank me for doing Genius Hour because it got their kid working on an interest outside of school.
  • There was a good variety of projects and very few cookie cutter projects.
  • Two students who were initially hesitant to do anything were able to get past their fear of failing and had unique projects.
  • Halfway through the process, I started having students write down a goal at the beginning of Genius Hour and had them reflect on it at the end of class.  This help create a stronger purpose for the time.
The Not Good Stuff
Anytime you try something new, you immediately get smacked with a dose of cold reality.  Here's what we struggled with.
  • Many students commented that they did not like having to blog about their project. 
  • The process was too long.
  • We spent too little time prepping and practicing for final presentations.
  • Some students did not communicate their projects clearly to their parents which lead to frustration and confusion.
  • Once one student wanted to do a Minecraft project, it spread and probably limited the creativity of some students.
  • Some students were more stressed about creating a product than the process of learning.
  • The blog was not an efficient way to keep track of student progress.
  • Genius Hour interrupts the flow and momentum of a unit.
Moving Forward
So, in light of all that, Genius Hour will look a lot different next year.  It's time to learn from my mistakes and move forward with a better approach for next time. 

  • I will provide more constraints and structure at the beginning to get them started. 
  • I will find specific ways to adapt/scaffold the project for students with special needs.
  • I will involve students in the grading process by using more self and peer assessment.
  • Rather than an extended project, I will try shorter "bursts" of Genius Hour (work on it for a month and then present vs. work for one trimester). Too much doubt starts to settle in when you wait too long to share. 
  • I will do a better job communicating with parents about projects.
  • I will find better and different ways for students to report their progress without losing essential writing skills practice. 
  • I will model the process better and find better student examples.
  • I will better seize the opportunity to use Genius Hour to teach speaking and active listening skills.
  • I will allow students to work with partners.
If you haven't tried Genius Hour (or something similar), I still recommend it even with all the issues we encountered. I learned a lot through the process about student motivation and autonomy.  There's that magical balance between student choice and teacher control that Genius Hour allows you to experiment with.  

If you have tried Genius Hour, let me know what worked for you!  For now, I will enjoy a break from Genius Hour. :)

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