Curiouser and Curiouser

Have you seen Alice in Wonderland or read Through the Looking Glass? Can you relate to Alice chasing the rabbit down the hole? There are times that she is my spirit animal. Her natural curiosity resonates with me deeply. 

At any given moment I can be found clicking on a link to a bakery that has a new pie/cupcake concept (pipcake) that caught my eye while looking up National Key Lime Pie day.  Maybe I am reading something on Pinterest about my personality type and how I relate to others. As a bit of a bookworm, I like to take notes from a stack of books by my bed filled with information about childhood anxiety, or being “Relentless” for our students, or “The Art of Rulership”, or maybe some fiction that sends me off to explore a new fantastical world. It is amazing! I never run out of rabbit holes. 

It’s a good thing, right? Isn’t that what we wish for our students? We want to develop lifelong learners that are always yearning for more knowledge but never able to quench that thirst.  Some people may see all of the these rabbit holes as seemingly odd pieces of information. I think provide insight into various facets of their interests.  As a mathematician, it is especially enjoyable when I can find the patterns of how these things might overlap. I totally have Venn Diagrams running through my head right now. These kinds of connections are invaluable.

However, they could just keep connecting and running off in a multitude of directions. Each one splinters into several more paths like a fractal tree. They could feel as though the load is unmanageable. We want to avoid finding them crying on the forest floor because they can’t find their way home. Overwhelming is an understatement. 

Balance is key.  It is important to recognize that there is a yin to every yang. Everything has the potential to be both. In Taoism, there is the symbol yin yang.  Yin and yang is all about embracing both sides and finding balance. Something like water is both yin, flowing peacefully, and yang, a precipitous waterfall. This concept that we need to embrace both sides brings me peace.  There is a need for each in our lives.

So how do we help our students find the balance between falling down all of the rabbit holes and getting tunnel vision on one direct path while completing their projects? I’ve started by having the class complete peer conferences. They wrote goals and and as many steps of an action plan as they could. I want them to have a document to work from and I think it will be helpful for them to see how much all of their plans change. The process is meant be fluid, but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t held accountable. Another facet is reflection. I also want them to reflect honestly on their progress. This will show the other side of the process.  I love this spider web rubric from John Meehan (@MeehanEdu).  It is so visual! I especially enjoy that all of these methods show growth over time.  Growing and being better than we were the day before, isn’t that what it’s really all about?

Stroke of Genius

At KTI, I was fortunate to meet Coach Jon Craig (@coachjoncraig). He is energetic, and passionate. It is 100% clear that everything he does is to better himself for the students with whom he interacts. This is the guy that really gave me the push I needed to pursue Genius Hour.

Before going to KTI, I had actually researched a bit about Genius Hour and I wasn’t really sure where to start. So I let it sit on the back burner. Jon helped break it down into manageable parts and gave me invaluable resources. I am so glad we met and I bet my students this year are too!

Genius hour has been an AMAZING start to my school year! It is the first week and I know so much more than their names and what they did this summer. I know what ignites the fire inside of them. I saw one of my students walking to football practice. I was able to tell a colleague, “There goes T. Did you know he is interested in time and space travel? What an interesting kid!”. How cool is that?! I feel like I checked all of the boxes that we as teachers hope to check in the first week.

Get to know students: Check

Determine student interests: Check

Create buy in: Check

Give students choice and voice: Check

Celebrate mistakes: Check

By simply giving my class the opportunity to pursue their interests, I unlocked so many intriguing conversations. Their interests are varied, but each one is uniquely fascinating. They range from completing and installing artwork that develops a sense of community while also bring social consciousness to the forefront all the way to programming a USB port so that it can make non Bluetooth items Bluetooth compatible.

By simply giving the class a sense of Genius Hour and playing a motivational video, each individual student set to work discovering their topic and creating a plan. I had conversations with them to help some focus their topic, while others just needed permission. They filled in a form, that Jon shared with me, which has the students provide the details for their plan. In addition, I asked the class to film a ninety second pitch that I will share with their parents at our Open House. It is a nice way to share with their parents what is happening in class and the students will have feedback from outside of the class.

I really enjoyed brainstorming with the class. “What if” and “yes and” became a regular part of the discussion. One of my favorite conversations of the week happened while a student was telling me that she wanted to paint a mural. She was unsure of what her plan would be other than just creating a mock up. It then occurred to me that she just thought this project was make believe. When I asked her where she would want to paint the mural, she replied in our school somewhere. I said that she would need a fully fleshed out plan for our administrators. Her eyes lit up and she finally understood that we were really going to do this. She told me that she was simultaneously scared and excited. I have goosebumps while I am typing this.

They seem to be enjoying it this far. When asked to rate Genius Hour on a scale of 1 to 4, no one chose 1 and only one 2! That’s a win in my book. These kids want to leave a legacy. They want to make the world better. They want to share their voice. I am beyond humbled and grateful to be able to help them through this process. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Shameless plug: You should really check out Jon’s webinar this Wednesday, September 4th at 8pm if you are at all curious about Genius Hour. You won’t regret it!

Stop! Collaborate and Listen…

Photo by Joshua Newton on Unsplash

You are singing the song now, aren’t you? I have been for a few days. Isn’t it funny that a particular song can get stuck in your head like this one? It came out of nowhere, but I decided to run with it. Turns out, it speaks to my inservice/professional development experience recently and despite not actually paying attention to the words since the 90s, some (not all) of the lyrics are quite relevant.

I have attended multiple professional development opportunities since I started teaching in 2004. None of them have been exactly the same, ranging from technology to mindfulness to content specific skills. Yet, I have noticed recently that music has become a staple in the majority of PD that I have attended. Keystone Technology Innovators (KTI) used music as a way to transition from one activity to the next and build excitement. I have seen countless presenters use instrumental music to settle our minds and enhance the thought process or even just mark time. At our Curriculum and Instruction State of the Union, music was used to send the message that we need to break down the barriers to be able to better help our students. Music can be a powerful tool.

See, I have an interesting way of making connections through music. Songs will come back to me at odd times and play repeatedly in my head. Once I listen closely to the lyrics, I understand why. Mr. Van Winkle sings two things in particular that resonate.

One lyric is “anything less than your best is a felony.” I feel that. The kids deserve our best; whatever we have in the tank at any given moment. This message happens to connect closely with a book I have been reading, “Relentless,” written by Hamish Brewer (@brewerhm), who’s known as the tattooed, skater principal. He gives the “green light to teach on fire and not hold back.” He asks everyone to chase 100. In other words, just give your best. That’s fair. It is what we preach to our students. So we should also walk the walk.

The other, more recognizable lyric is, “all right stop, collaborate and listen.” That is powerful in and of itself. Both Vanilla Ice and my Curriculum and Instruction Supervisors are sending the same message. Take the time to listen and work together. Despite having vast differences in age, gender, education level, family makeup, economic status, and a laundry list of other categories, everyone has something to offer. We need to take the time to listen without judgement or bias and then collaborate on a common goal. We all bring baggage to the table; teachers and students alike. The point is to not stack them so that they build a wall, but unpack them together to create a space where we all thrive. Maybe the lyrics should be “Stop! Listen and Collaborate.” Who knows? Maybe Vanilla Ice could then have a new career in professional development and motivational speaking!

You might be wondering how I will use any of this in Genius Hour in my class. The answer is that the culture that we create has a big impact on how our classroom runs. I hope to create a culture where students understand that nothing less than our best is tolerated (yes, mine too). The expectation is that we have a common goal and we are all working to meet, if not exceed, it. With that in mind, the result can be amazing.

I am exploring the collaboration piece as well. I want my students to collaborate with me, each other, their parents, community members and the world at large. I have been tinkering with FlipGrid and the new features, specifically guest mode. I plan to have students record their idea for their individual Genius Hour. I would like to share this with parents at Open House and ask them to respond. This should provide feedback outside of the classroom, which is the ultimate goal. At the end of the project they should be sharing their findings with the appropriate authentic audience. I will be sure to provide an update with an honest reflection of how everything goes. Wish me luck!

“When we the members of your school community are willing to sacrifice it all for the mission and each other, you become unstoppable.” – Hamish Brewer

Ben & Jerry

I’m sorry if you thought this was about ice cream. This isn’t a story about that Ben & Jerry. For the record, I am a huge ice cream enthusiast.

KTI seriously changed my trajectory. I know, I know. I keep mentioning it. I wish I could say I will cease and desist at some point, but I don’t think I will. It was that life changing. Anyway, while there I was fortunate enough to hear Ben Smith (@edtechben) speak. His Ignite presentation left me with several takeaways that are applicable here.

He encouraged us to think about why we teach. It’s funny because that is one of those questions that seems like a no brainer. Of course it’s for the kids, right? I think for each of us it is some version of that. To be the amazing teacher we didn’t have or to be the amazing teacher we did have. For me, I teach to connect in a meaningful way and help kids develop, grow, and follow their curiosity.  I love that it is new everyday.

Another message was that we need to develop and believe in ourselves. We do this by sharing, leading, getting involved, advocating and helping students tell the story. This message hit hard. Share. I like to think of myself as a good sharer. Yet, I heard story after story, each one just as powerful as the previous one. It was important to hear each and every one of them. Each person had their own authentic message to share. We all need to do that… share our own unique experiences and messages. You never know when they will resonate with someone. We need to tell our students the same thing. Their voice is important and it matters. This is also why genius hour became so important to me. This is a project that gives students voice and choice. How often does that happen? I sincerely hope the answer is all the time.

Last is a message that I think is especially important now as many of us prepare or have just started a new school year. This job gets stressful. There are a lot of eyes on us. The weight can mount and you can easily get overwhelmed. It is easy to let all of the I can’ts and nos stick with us. All the more reason to connect with your push/pull person as Ben calls it. For him it was another teacher named Jerry. In a post on the blog A Cult of Pedagogy , that person is called a marigold. Whatever you call that person or group of people, find them and spend time with them, like a LOT of time with them. Eat pints of Ben & Jerry’s together with highly inspirational flavors with even better taste. (Oat of this Swirled and Brewed to Matter come highly recommended!) Seriously though, just talk and listen to each other. The right people will help you explore your ideas and put them into action. They will help pull you back in when you need to re-evaluate your direction. They are full of positivity and “Yes, and…”. These people will take you far!

We need to be those people for our students. We need to foster that sense of community in our classroom. Students need cheerleaders, the more the better. Ice cream doesn’t hurt either.

Magic of Beginnings

So how do you start? Well for me it started with an inspirational professional development session with Jon Craig (@coachjoncraig). He shared how he had started Genius Hour in his class and provided valuable resources. Following that session, I met with my principal and obtained permission to get started. I reached out to my professional learning network (PLN) on Twitter and in my building for advice.

In our school, English teachers facilitate a senior graduation project. Students choose a topic and research and complete a variety of activities based on that topic for the majority of the school year. At the end of the project, they present their findings to their class. Sounds a lot like Genius Hour, right? Lucky for me I have these experts in my building that I can meet with in person. I have reached out and hope to set up a meeting with them to brainstorm how I can both help support the senior graduation project and implement Genius Hour in my classroom.

On Twitter, I posted my exciting news…YAY! Genius Hour!… and asked for advice. I am overwhelmed – in a good way – with the feedback I received. (Seriously, if you aren’t connecting with like-minded souls on Twitter you should consider it.) I was given a link to an amazing LiveBinder full of genius hour/20% Time resources. I was linked inspirational videos like Caine’s Arcade to help set the tone. Someone else recommended a podcast on Innovation Class for advice. Three high quality resources were delivered directly to me in a matter of minutes! AMAZING!

Something else amazing and unexpected happened on Twitter. Joy Kirr (@JoyKirr) requested that I blog about my experience for others to see. Okay I’m going to have a moment here. She asked me, a math teacher with zero genius hour or blog experience, to write about my journey in the hopes of helping others in the process. I am beyond flattered! This is exactly the type of venture I am looking to pursue. I like the idea of sharing my process so that other people might feel empowered to take a risk and pursue their own passion. I want others to learn from my mistakes and share suggestions and improvements. I want to model this process for my class as well. I am a big believer in doing anything that I ask my students to do. It creates a shared experience that informs me how to best support my students.

So here we are. I am about a week out from the start of the 2019-2020 school year and I have created intro slides, this blog, and an infographic. I have resources to dive into and I have reached out to my experts in my building. Until next time!

“Just get on.”


“If you are offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on.”

— Sheryl Sandberg

This quote perfectly explains the journey I have begun. This summer, I was fortunate enough to be nominated by my principal to attend the Keystones Technology Innovators Summit.  It was a most impactful experience. While there, I was able to connect with so many like-minded and inspiring teachers, and I sincerely believe that every teacher should be able to experience this on some level.  I was able to make so many connections through this opportunity, both digitally and personally, and I am eager to share what I’ve learned with as wide an audience as possible. This summit has been my rocket ship.

I had used Twitter before as a peripheral classroom resource, but at KTI I learned how to integrate it into a much more vital part of my classroom culture. It has been especially transformative for me in terms of professional development. I have developed a professional learning network that has become invaluable. I am able to get ideas from fellow educators and experts. What I find even more valuable is the ability to ask a question and get useful answers and feedback. This is exactly how this blog began. This whole experience is helping me on my journey to share more of myself and to be authentic.  

This entire experience made me reflect on my teaching practices and dig deeper into and explore my passion and inspiration. I was most profoundly inspired by the idea of student choice and how the students themselves can and should drive the curricular and content direction in the classroom. My goal this year is to introduce Genius Hour with my Statistics and Math Modeling (SAMM) students since the course framework is so conducive to developing project-based skills based on personal interest. 

So there you have it. KTI was my rocket ship and Genius Hour is my seat. I’m buckled up and ready to see where this journey takes me!

Hi!

My name is Danielle and I am just a high school math teacher who attended the most inspiring series of workshops at the right time.

I was encouraged to start this blog to share my journey of introducing Genius Hour in my high school math classroom. I plan to document my progress weekly and include all the successes as well as the moments where I #failforward. I truly believe that we learn so much from our mistakes. I hope you find some inspiration. I would love to collaborate and hear your advice or suggestions. Thanks for following along!

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started