No, the student from Thomas Middle School in Arlington Heights, Illinois, was sad to miss out on her “genius hour.” That’s an 80-minute period every Monday during which Emily and her ...

That’s the premise of “genius hour,” a growing trend in which teachers set aside time for students to work on a research or service project of their choice. Educators say it’s a chance not ...

Students at Wenonah Elementary are wrapping up another successful year of their year-long Genius Hour initiative.

That’s where “genius hour” comes in. Using this teaching practice, teachers set aside about 20 percent of class time each year (often weekly) for students to learn about whatever interests them. By ...

This is the most sobering and common response to one of three questions I ask my students before we start Genius Hour: What bothers you? What do you love? What do you wonder about? What would it take ...