• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Advertising
  • Write for Us
  • Job Board
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Consulting
    • Advertising
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Shirts

The Educators Room logo

  • Start Here
    • Impact Statements: Teacher Expertise
    • Newsletter
  • Browse Topics
    • Content Strategies
      • Literacy
      • Mathematics
      • Social Studies
      • Educational Technology
      • ELL & ESOL
      • Fine Arts
      • Special Education
      • Popular Topics
        • Teacher Self-Care
        • Instructional Coach Files
        • Common Core
        • The Traveling Teacher
        • The Unemployed Teacher
        • The New Teacher Chronicles
        • Book Review
        • Grade Levels
          • Elementary (K-5)
          • Middle (6-8)
          • Adult
          • New Teacher Bootcamp
          • Hot Button Topics
            • Menu Item
              • Principals' Corner
              • Charter Schools
              • Confessions of a Teacher
              • Interviews
              • The State of Education
              • Stellar Educator of the Week
            • Menu
              • How to Fix Education
              • Featured
              • Ask a Teacher
              • Teacher Branding
              • Current Events
  • Podcasts
  • Courses
    • Practicing Self-Care to Avoid Teacher Burnout- An 8 Week Course
    • Becoming An Educational Consultant
    • Teacher Branding 101:Teachers are The Experts
    • The Learning Academy
    • Books
    • Shirts
  • Education in Atlanta
  • Teacher Self-Care
  • The Coach's Academy
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Advertising
  • Write for Us
  • Job Board
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Consulting
    • Advertising
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Shirts
×

April 29, 2016 Instruction & Curriculum

The Genius Hour in Middle School

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About Jennifer White

I am a middle school Language Arts teacher, pushing my students each day to their fullest potential through deep reading, authentic writing, and effective use of technology.
  • The Genius Hour in Middle School - April 29, 2016
  • Using Web 2.0 Tools to Increase Student Engagement - April 8, 2016

Two years ago, I had an idea. I wanted to see a class in my school that allowed students who are intrinsically motivated to do something they were interested in. I began searching around on the internet and stumbled upon Passion Projects, 20% Time (based on a Google practice), and Genius Hour, but it was mostly being used at the elementary school level. It was awesome to see how these elementary school teachers were allowing their students to conduct these "passion projects" on Fridays when they were finished with other work, but I was still looking for more.

I thought, "Why couldn't we do Genius Hour every day for an entire year?" I went to work mapping out what this course would look like, and presented it at a meeting with the superintendent at the time. Turns out, they were planning on implementing an intervention period the next year, and it was approved as something advanced students could choose to take. I did surveys with my current seventh graders, and we had twenty-eight students willing to try out this new class the next year, and Genius Hour was born!

So, how do you keep twenty-eight eighth graders engaged daily doing independent projects that are not developed by a teacher? Here's my formula for success:

  1. Set Rules: Students must be held accountable for what they do every day in class. My students have to reflect on their research each week by writing a blog post on Fridays that I check. I also ask them to read each other's' blogs and comment on them.
  2. Brainstorm: At the beginning of each quarter, students have to brainstorm their ideas, and fill out a proposal form. This requires them to develop an essential question that is not easily answered, create a timeline for their project, list their required materials, and develop a daily plan. Students then "Pitch" their projects to each other and to me, and we give feedback. If I think a student may have picked a project that would not take a full quarter, we sit down to brainstorm what they could do differently.
  3. Encourage Failure: I have had many students who attempted to create something, and then it failed, sometimes massively. That's ok! They don't fail the class, because they took the chance to try something new, and they learned in the process. Students cannot fail this course unless they do absolutely nothing.
  4. Show Your Work: Students have to present their projects to the class at the end of the quarter. Sometimes it's in a gallery walk, sometimes it's a full class presentation. Students develop visual aides, and practice what they are going to say. We refer to many Ted talks to help model what a great presentation looks like.
  5. Teach: So you maybe have no idea what Aquaponics is...but you could help that same student develop a presentation, work on speaking skills, and generally be a good coach and mentor throughout the process!

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="yes" overflow="visible"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="no" center_content="no" min_height="none"]Genius Hour is not for all students. Click To Tweet

Genius Hour is not for all students. They have to be motivated to work independently, set their own pace, and work through the inquiry process. Students should also have a general understanding of technology, and you can guide them with tips on how to do Google searches effectively, find valid sources and cite them, and what Web 2.0 tools can help make their presentations interesting and appealing.

When you give students the freedom to learn on their own, the results can be amazing! I've seen projects such as "The Roots of Prejudice", "Mop Shoes", "Can Superheroes Really Exist?", "Decorating on a Budget", and "Concussions in Sports". They were all amazing and interesting, and even better because the students had ownership!

GeniusHour[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Related posts:

Say No to Boredom! Dynamic Incorporation of Nonfiction Into the Classroom 2018: Reflections on a School Year The Importance of Communication For IEP Students and Parents Why is The Positivity Project Making My Kids So Negative?
« Breaking out of the Norm with Breakout Edu
Surviving the Spring "Thing" »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lisa says

    April 30, 2016 at 11:01 am

    Any examples of finished projects?

    Reply
  2. Jennifer Wolfe says

    May 01, 2016 at 2:53 pm

    Great post! I also teach 8th grade ELA and AVID, and have done a Passion Project before...I might just try doing one each semester. How much time do you give them weekly in class?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

The Educator's Room was launched in 2012 to amplify the voice of educators. To date, we have over 45+ writers from around the world and boast over twelve million page views. Through articles, events, and social media we will advocate for honest dialogue with teachers about how to improve public education. This mission is especially important when reporting on education in our community; therefore, we commit our readers to integrity, accuracy, and independence in education reporting. To join our mailing list, click here.

What we do

At The Educator's Room, we focus on amplifying and honoring the voice of educators as experts in education. To date, we have over 40 staff writers/teachers from around the world.

Popular Posts

  • Ask The Educator's Room: I'm dating a student's dad. Should we tell the school?
  • My Union Showed Up for Me, and I'll Never Forget It
  • Your Students Deserve a Diverse Classroom Library. Here's How to Set It Up.
  • You Don't Have to Watch the Tyre Nichols Video, But Be Ready to Talk About It

Featured On

Buy Our Books/Courses

How to Leave Your Job in Education

Practicing Self-Care to Avoid Teacher Burnout

Using Your Teacher Expertise to Become an Educational Consultant

Check out our books on teaching and learning!

The Learning Academy

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Services
  • Media Kit
  • FAQ

 

Copyright © 2021 The Educator's Room.