What is Genius Hour?

Genius Hour is a classroom concept that originates from Google’s practice of allowing employees to devote 20 per cent of their working time to pursuing their own projects. Employees were shown to be more productive, enthused and loyal as a result.

You want me to give my pupils free rein for a day each week? Sounds like a recipe for chaos

Not at all. Genius Hour should be a small slot in your week; it doesn’t even have to be a whole hour. Think of it like project-based or flipped learning.

Do we really have time to spare in the curriculum for that kind of thing?

Well, if you think about it, we probably do have time we could be using more efficiently. Primary teachers often manage to make space for things like “celebration” or “golden” time, so this isn’t really that different.

Genius Hour is not about turning your curriculum upside-down, it’s about finding time to allow children to think for themselves, to show you what they’re interested in and to celebrate their learning. It can develop autonomy, independence and confidence.

Sounds a bit fluffy to me…

Genius Hour is the opposite. You’ll be surprised to find that children will quite often choose projects that include the application of curriculum skills, but in a context that feels real to them.

Give children a basic structure, show them how to set up a project and they will be invested. Their learning will be authentic because they will have ownership of it. 

But where does the structure come from?

You still have to provide it. Genius Hour isn’t about letting your pupils loose. You need to show them how to organise their ideas, how to plan and execute them and how to reap the rewards elsewhere in the curriculum. Once the concept has taken root in your classroom, the children should organically begin to work more independently.

Is this going to start a riot on Twitter?

It shouldn’t. There are some really positive advocates for this approach.  @grahamandre has developed some great resources and the concept is often a featured subject in #aussieED discussions.

It’s worth a try then?

Definitely. Genius Hour is something that should be happening in your classroom, even if you only start small and use more structure to begin with. Fnd somewhere to fit it in, whether that means forgoing form time or giving celebration hour the chop.

OK, I’m sold. Where do I start?

Have a look at Graham’s resources and the dedicated Genius Hour website. This piece from Lord Jim Knight about why schools should push kids to pursue their own projects also offers a really clear rationale for the concept.

Sarah Wright is a senior lecturer at Edge Hill University. She tweets as @Sarah__wright1

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