Kids, Learning and Compassion

This past Wednesday, I had some big takeaways from Genius Hour. I usually set up the work flow by asking kids Who their partner will be, What project do they want to undertake, Why this is important to them and whether they intend to inform, persuade, entertain or, new today, Share some love and compassion with others. To my excitement, two girls paired together to create a poster for friendship, complete with original art, a detailed handshake and a story to go with it. The whole class is very proud to have this on display and hopefully make a difference for someone who needs a friend or compassion.

 

Another big takeaway from the day was the result of asking children the question seen here... What are you crazy excited about? The answers were outstanding and gave me a bigger view into their minds, hearts and attitudes. This is invaluable to me as a teacher/learner, but also allows me to reach and push the individual child not just with Genius Hour, but also reading, story telling, writing, math concepts, making friends... the list goes on.

I  was truly amazed by how the kids worked with one another, the comfort they showed while presenting their ideas and creations, and the confidence they had in their ability to get their work done. They have grown by leaps and bounds, and I don't think this would have been possible without something like Genius Hour, 20% Time, Passion Projects etc. Giving children the chance to lead themselves on the path of learning while using a teacher/adult as a consultant on their learning/project has allowed them flourish in my room beyond my expectations.