by Elizabeth Barrera Rush, January 2018

Do you remember the folktale about a stranger who arrives in a town, tired and hungry, and no one will feed him? With a little charisma and cunning, the stranger humbly asks for a pot of water and some stones to make stone soup which he will gladly share. "But a little potato or some meat will make it better," he ponders aloud. Peaked with curiosity for what "stone soup" tastes like, all the townsfolk contribute something to the pot to create a fabulous meal for everyone to enjoy, even when their first inclination was to have nothing to do with him at all! Well, I remind you about this story so I can tell you about Genius Hour in the library.

Many school librarians face circumstances that result in a lack of cooperation or funding. Without support, we might feel undervalued, unappreciated, and unable to do more than take the path of least resistance by only providing basic services. But, I say we can either accept these circumstances and a pallid program, or we can get clever. By initiating the best possible library program that we can—in spite of constraints—we can gain support and watch it become something as nourishing and satisfying for students' minds and bodies as a healthy bowl of soup!

School librarians are already endowed with cunning: knowledge from your master's degree or years of experience. Just ask for the pot (the opportunity to lead Genius Hour) and the stones (access to the students) and you can provide a superb program to which everyone will be enticed to contribute as they see what you are accomplishing. A solid library program supports teachers in their mission to deliver curriculum in a meaningful and fulfilling way for students, while maximizing all resources.

Genius Hour

When I first learned about Genius Hour four years ago, I discovered that it was a way for students to employ research techniques to learn about any topic of their choice. In my elementary school's version of Genius Hour, every student in third through fifth grade is given free choice of their own topic, passion, or curiosity to explore. Kindergarten through second grade students arrive at a topic as a group. Whether individually or as a class, students are able to take the topic in any direction that comes naturally to them, pursuing the "next question" that comes up as a result of unearthing some unexpected or interesting fact. There are many ways to implement a Genius Hour program: as an after school program, as a project to be conducted for a portion of the school year, or, as in my case, a school-wide, year-long, library program-driven research project. And, lucky for our students, they have the benefit of an information specialist to help them negotiate the discovery process!

The Easy and Not-So-Easy Part

When I share my experiences about creating a Genius Hour program with other librarians, I am honest about how it can simultaneously make library life easier and more difficult. The ease comes in planning and preparation for all classes which will be progressing at an even pace. Student topic selections facilitate collection development. Favorite activities such as storytime, maker projects, and/or special events can be incorporated with purpose as part of the program.

The difficulties, however, tend to come from the adults! Genius Hour is so "un-classroom like" that they may be baffled with the lack of a rubric, bewildered by giving children limitless choices of topics and presentation methods, and befuddled with the dramatic change in the library program. Initially, they may not want to have anything to do with it. But like our clever folktale hero, begin by asking for just a little (time and kids). Promise to lead and handle potential difficulties, while giving reassurance and guidance to all who require it. It won't be long before people are contributing key ingredients (co-teaching and collaborating) for a dish that everyone will to enjoy!

Obtaining the support of administration and faculty (even if "support" means they will allow you undertake the task single-handedly) and making your intentions known to parents are imperative. You may say, "This sounds frighteningly public and everyone will see my mistakes." But, this is not about you and your pride! It's about embracing risk to create the best possible library program you can, for the benefit of your students, the school community, and eventually, for society when your students grow to be intelligent, thinking adults.

What Are the Outcomes?

Over the course of three years, what seemed like a daring and dangerous experiment has become the dynamic library program that l used to dream about having. It is enthusiastically supported by the school community and is growing district wide. Additionally, the library schedule has become more flexible because everyone wants to access more Genius Hour time and there is great satisfaction in the fact that we are maximizing every resource at our disposal.

Sonya Kirkham, principal at Nichols Elementary, allowed me the freedom to implement this program, but it was up to me to make it work. She acknowledges that Genius Hour, "gives students an opportunity to showcase their interests and talents...[The results are] a big thumbs up!"

After our first year, with many struggles to understand the concept of rubric-free projects, a third grade teacher, and team leader, enthusiastically endorsed the program to new faculty members at the beginning of our second year of Genius Hour. "We all learned so much!" Every student was able to demonstrate what they learned on their own terms, and their presentations were natural, varied, and entertaining. Students and teachers were surprised and engaged throughout the presentations.

"Genius Hour is life changing!" said a fourth grade teacher. In our second year of Genius Hour, she was a third grade collaborative teacher who saw how her special needs students were able to identify their strengths and use them to their own academic advantage. When she decided to teach fourth grade the following year, she observed that her students had advanced with a newfound confidence in their abilities. Instead of feeling fearful of a big project, they were excited to begin.

A fifth grade team leader (who is also the parent of a third grade child) has always appreciated Genius Hour for its nature to be rigorous for older students and adaptable enough to be achievable for younger students. Her third grade child was able to accomplish her own project from start to finish by herself, and her fifth grade students were held to a higher standard: creating more thorough notes, addressing essential questions at a deeper level of understanding, and producing more complex presentations.

If you seek to begin a Genius Hour program at your campus, remember that anything worthwhile takes commitment and perhaps some convincing, pacifying, and/or scheming at times. But if you can at least get the pot of water and a few stones, it won't be long before a community comes together to gladly partake in this fabulous program!