Enrichment for Students
What is Genius Hour?
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.
At Whittier Elementary, Genius Hour takes place daily from 3:15 to 4:00. Students participate in classes and activities such as dance, sign language, basketball, arts and crafts, drumming, drama, yoga, world cultures, and leadership.
Genius Hour in Education
The teacher provides a set amount of time for the students to work on their passion projects. Students are then challenged to explore something to do a project over that they want to learn about. They spend several weeks researching the topic before they start creating a product that will be shared with the class/school/world. Deadlines are limited and creativity is encouraged. Throughout the process the teacher facilitates the student projects to ensure that they are on task. A goal of every teacher should be to create lifelong learners. Genius hour projects are a huge step towards that goal.
