Welcome to Genius Hour

Genius Hour Image

What will your students learn when they are following their passion?

Angela Maiers shows you in her just released e-book, ‘Liberating Genius in the Classroom.’ The book contains 20 days of lessons to help students be better readers, writers, thinkers, and most important, passion-driven learners.

This is the foundation and the rationale behind Genius Hour and/or Genius Time.

Genius Hour is our promise to students that their passions will matter; that they will do work that matters, and we will make time during the school day for it.

Every teacher has hopes and dreams for the new school year and they ask students about their hopes and dreams as well.  It sets the stage for awesome learning to follow. Posing it can have a profound effect on the classroom and community.

It’s important for students to know that:

  • what you care about matters at school;
  • your hopes and goals are taken seriously;
  • you have a say in what and how we will learn.

As a teacher we should help articulate their hopes and dreams and set a tone of collaboration and mutual respect. It fosters reflection and self-awareness by prompting children to ask themselves questions such as:

  • What do I want learning to be like?
  • What do I want from the experience of school?
  • What matters to me most?
  • What am I worried about?
  • What am I most excited to learn more about and learn from?
  • What am I going to become more awesome at?

Sharing hopes and dreams also creates a meaningful context for establishing classroom protocols and procedures. Once hopes have been articulated, discussions can begin about what “rules” will be needed to help everyone’s hopes and dreams come true.

#LiberatingGenius happens best within a classroom in which:

  • There is time for thinking about our own and others passions
  • Rich opportunities exist for exploring passion
  • Passion-driven learning is regularly modeled
  • The process as well as the products of thinking are valued

Liberating Genius is designed to help teachers collectively focus on the implicit messages about thinking being sent in classrooms and across the school.

Welcome to Genius Hour.

Have you downloaded Liberating Genius yet?

You Matter!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Constitution Day!

Constitution Day

Today marks the 288th anniversary of the United States Constitution. Check out Constitution.org for resources and information for you and your students.

Included on the site is an Interactive Constitution and a link for the Constitution Day Live Blog where experts are answering questions.

In honor of Constitution Day, all educational institutions receiving federal funding are required to hold an educational program pertaining to the U.S. Constitution; this year we are asking all schools around the country to join in a National reading of the Preamble called The Preamble Challenge!

Post your photos, videos, or activities on your blog.

 

 

Goal-setting: Begin with the end in mind

Goal-Setting-873x1024

As a district we are participating in the new Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS).  The article, Goal Setting for Teachers: 8 Paths for Self-Improvement, provides you with a list of ideas to jump start your thought process and help you develop meaningful and relevant goals to support your professional growth.

Figure out what you need or want to do differently and write your goals so they align accordingly. A few suggestions for goals may be:

1. Strengthen Your Tech Skills

2. Take a fresh approach to content knowledge and pedagogy (TPACK)

3. Adjust your growth mindset

4. Be fearless when it comes to providing the best education for students. Take a chance and develop engaging and empowering lessons to provide ALL students with a ‘this century’ education.

For more information visit: www.cultofpedagogy.com