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The idea of a Genius Hour originated in some of today’s most innovative and groundbreaking companies, and it’s also a great activity to use in your classroom. As the school year comes to a close, and you and your students need fresh and interesting activities, we think implementing a Genius Hour in your classroom will be just the thing to motivate your students! By allowing learners to invest time in their own interests, we can encourage creativity and innovation. Listen to this week’s podcast episode to learn how to implement this unique project in your middle school classroom.
Tune in now to hear:
- [:50] Caitlin welcomes listeners for the third installment of this four-part series all about creating engagement in your classroom at the end of the school year.
- [1:19] In today’s episode, listeners will hear about hosting a Genius Hour in the classroom, and Caitlin gives some background on where the concept came from.
- [3:40] Caitlin explains how this creative outlet could be just the thing your students need to maintain their motivation to learn and succeed as the school year ends.
- [4:50] There are several reasons this unique type of project is perfect for your middle school classroom, and Jessica and Caitlin break down each reason for listeners.
- [7:51] Caitlin shares a personal experience she has had with this type of project and the impact it can have on students.
- [9:45] Some teachers may be concerned that students will get sidetracked while completing this type of activity, but Jessica offers ideas on how to provide structure for your learners as they work through this project.
- [10:46] Listeners will then hear practical steps to implement a Genius Hour in their own classroom.
- [13:05] Jessica walks through an example of one student’s Genius Hour plan.
- [14:22] Finally, teachers will need to create a schedule for their Genius Hour based on their own classroom and students’ needs. Jessica and Caitlin offer some ideas and questions to ask yourself as you plan for your very own Genius Hour.
- [18:26] Caitlin describes an approach she uses when engaging in deep, focused work that students can benefit from when working on this project.
- [20:46] Don’t miss next week’s episode where Caitlin and Jessica share one final engagement strategy–this one focuses on games!
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Now if you’re feeling extra awesome today, we would be super grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast, and they’re also so much fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review by scrolling down your show page, selecting a star rating, and tapping “Write a review.” Let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. You’ll receive a free sentence/fragment activity resource. Just screenshot it before submitting it and email it to us at caitlinandjessica@ebacademics.com with the subject line TMSELA Review| Sentence Fragment Activity. Thank you!
