What if we had Genius Hour for teachers?

Photo credit: https://flic.kr/p/e77s5P

We currently have time built into our weekly schedule for teacher collaboration, and that's a good thing. But all good things need to be reinvented, or at least reinvigorated to make them better. We need to be creative to make the use of time and resources as valuable as possible. Our weekly collaboration time grew out of the Professional Learning Communities movement, and our school has benefited from the PLC structure. But I see a new vision for collaboration and growth emerging.

What if we had Genius Hour for teachers, a time for professionals to work on projects they have passion for. I've seen this idea tossed around on various Twitter chats, and it's reportedly been done in forward-thinking schools. The idea is to empower people to use part of their productive work time to pursue projects they believe are most meaningful for them and for their students.

Maybe I've flipped out...a few thoughts on learning

There are all sorts of mindsets that work against a healthy approach to learning. These are well-documented because we've heard our colleagues complain about them before. "Students nowadays don't know how to...." or "These kids are so..." But this post isn't a rant against students. That is completely unproductive. Learning is a natural part of being human, and the problems students have with learning has a lot less to do with them, and a lot more to do with us.

A message for the Class of 2015

It was an especially exciting graduation season for our family this year since my son Drew was among the 180 students in the Bolivar HS Class of 2015. When your dad is also principal, commencement is a little different for sure. He was even quoted in the yearbook as saying he was frequently asked, "So what's it like having your dad as the principal?"

For me, it was a great honor and privilege to get to present him with his diploma. And I wish him and the rest of the Class of 2015 a fantastic future. The group is filled with wonderful, interesting, and talented young adults. As far as achievement goes, they did okay on that account too. The grads earned nearly $2.3 million in scholarships, setting a new record for BHS.

Each year, I have the opportunity to make a few remarks to encourage and congratulate the graduating class. I always try to keep my message short but hopefully meaningful. My speech this year follows.

Doing your best may involve doing less?

I recently read the blog post linked below about education in Finland. It is a reflection from an American teacher who spent time in Finland's classrooms as part of a Fulbright research assignment. Much has been made about the education system in Finland since the country has ranked near the top of international benchmark tests on student achievement. It seems there are those who would have us believe schools in the U.S. are inferior to those in Finland or Singapore or other countries where test scores are higher than they are here in the States. However, I don't believe test scores provide enough information to compare the quality of schools to one another, and for the most part I believe comparisons like these are counter-productive.

11 Ways Finland's Education System Shows Us that "Less is More".

The overall theme of the Finland post was that the learning culture is not the pressure-cooker that it is here in the U.S. Here teachers are jumping through all sorts of hoops in the name of better learning. There is pressure from administrators, politicians, parents, the media, you name it. The perception is constantly reinforced in the media and public discourse that schools and teachers could and should do more. And no doubt there are some schools and teachers that need to do more. But shame, embarrassment, and high-pressure tactics are poor strategies to create positive change. A better solution is for all schools to strive to improve, regardless of how effective they are currently. We need educators with a growth mindset who are filled with purpose and working to improve opportunities for students.

Make learning relevant without the 'hard sell'

If you feel like you need to explain to your students why your lesson is relevant, then maybe you need to rethink the learning culture in your classroom. It's not that relevance isn't important. We all know that students long to know why certain content matters. "Why do we have to learn this?" is a question every teacher has faced. But the problem is that explaining relevance is almost never good enough. The reasons for learning should be more obvious and compelling. Our schools need to make learning irresistible. If a teacher must explain why it's relevant, perhaps students lack the desired ownership for learning.

Authentic learning involves risk of failure

Most of my experiences with learning in my K-12 schooling occurred in a traditional classroom setting. Most of those classrooms had desks in straight rows, a teacher at the front of the room, a pencil sharpener on the wall. That was fitting because most of the learning was done with pencil and paper, often answering questions at the end of the chapter. Even within that traditional setting, I had some great teachers that really inspired me and made me think. But for the most part, my education lacked inspiration and did not require critical thinking, creativity, or communication.

But one of my experiences during high school was very different. Every student in our high school was required to take a full year of speech as a graduation requirement. For the first semester, the course was like a traditional public-speaking course. We developed and presented a variety of speeches. It was certainly a positive experience. The fear of public speaking is well-documented, and this was a good growth opportunity for me.

What if schools were more like Google and Starbucks?

"If you're changing the world, you're working on important things. You're excited to get up in the morning." -Larry Page, co-founder Google

Recently, I was blessed with the opportunity to hear Eric Sheninger speak about digital leadership at a workshop in Kansas City. It was, of course, a great day of inspiration and information. At one point in his talk, Eric commented that schools should "be more like Google and Starbucks." This idea got me curious about ways education could benefit from being more like these companies, and others like them that are innovating and creating value in extraordinary ways.

So my purpose here is to consider what education might learn from companies that are leaders of innovation and knowledge creation in their industries. Can the culture of these organizations translate to education to help create even better opportunities for students? In our rapidly changing world, the need for new paradigms and creative thinking is more important than ever. Schools that will thrive in the future won’t do what’s always been done. They won’t simply replicate success; instead, they will invent new ideas of how schools can help students be future-ready.

Google

Google has been the epitome of innovation among the tech giants. Google has 9 principles of innovation that guide the company’s culture. Many schools have already borrowed from the Google playbook by developing Genius Hour or 20-percent Time, where students are given time in their schedule to pursue projects they are passionate about. Google’s 20-percent Time has resulted in the development of valuable products like Gmail and GoogleEarth. Schools should consider utilizing the 20-percent Time framework for both students and teachers. For students, it provides opportunities for self-discovery and high-interest learning. For teachers, the opportunity to pursue side-projects would result in new practices and possibilities. As an added benefit, the greater sense of autonomy would lead to increased motivation and professional satisfaction. Another one of Google’s 9 principles is to have a mission that matters. Google has created incredible value for it’s customers through the development of extremely useful products and services. Google impacts millions of users, and it’s employees drive the mission to continue to create even greater access to information and communication. Google has a mission it’s employees can fully embrace. They feel like they are making a difference every day. As educators, schools have a mission that matters most. We are in the business of changing lives and helping kids have better opportunities in life. But all too often, top-down mandates take the life out of the classroom and educators lose sight of the mission. The ideas that would create the greatest energy for continuous improvement are crowded out by doing stuff in a standardized, prescriptive way. School leaders must focus on clarifying a shared sense of mission that is truly a mission and not focused on test results. And then allow teachers the freedom to create ideas and build on their individual strengths in the classroom. Ultimately, teachers must drive the mission to create the most amazing learning opportunities possible. Read more about Google’s 9 Principles of Innovation.


Starbucks

Starbucks was built on creating a personalized experience for customers. Sure, coffee is great, and it’s great to be able to customize your latte or frappuccino to your liking. That’s part of the magic. Customers love to be creative in exploring unlimited possibilities in the Starbucks menu. But beyond the beverages, the Starbucks culture is focused on connecting with the customer. What really sets the company apart is the ability to provide an experience that connects on a personal level.

Learning is also very personal and should not be a one-size-fits-all experience. Schools that are future-driven will aim to provide students with an experience that is tailored to their needs, one that allows for greater voice and choice in learning paths. So schools should consider these ideas for being more like Starbucks.

1. Get to know students on a personal level 2. Give students voice and choice 3. Wi-Fi, and access to devices, are a must 4. Provide flexible seating and collaborative spaces 5. Value creativity EPIC Elementary in Liberty, MO embraces personalized learning. Starbucks might even learn a thing or two from these innovators.


Amazon

Amazon is probably my favorite company. I just love the fact I can order online and have my item delivered incredibly fast and well-packaged and if there is ever a problem, the customer service will be incredible. But what can schools learn from Amazon, you’re thinking? Like Google, Amazon has a relentless focus on providing value to its customers. They don’t focus on beating competitors or winning market share. Instead, they focus on meeting their customers' needs. So maybe schools should stop trying to beat standardized-tests and focus the energy on creating greater value for students and their futures. Amazon has a strong entrepreneurial culture. The company seeks talent that is interested in developing new ideas and encourages idea development from all levels of the organization. Creative and talented people want to work for Amazon. If schools encouraged this type of culture, perhaps education would retain more of its best and brightest. We need to attract and retain teachers who are passionate about making a difference and who are creative risk-takers. I’m not sure the culture in most schools supports the needs of these entrepreneurial educators. Amazon always strives to get better. The company has seen incredible growth, and it’s considered one of the most admired companies in the world and yet it doesn't rest on its laurels. Schools also need to continue to improve and never be satisfied with the status quo. We should always be working to create an even better experience for students.


Zappos

I couldn’t resist including Zappos in this list. The internet retailer—mainly known for shoes, fast shipping, and incredible customer service—was included because of their innovative core values.

1. Deliver WOW through service

2. Embrace and drive change 

3. Create fun and a little weirdness 

4. Be adventurous, creative and open-minded 

5. Pursue growth and learning 

6. Build open and honest relationships with communication 

7. Build a positive team and family spirit 

8. Do more with less 

9. Be passionate and determined 

10. Be humble 

The unrelenting focus on providing value to the customer seems to be a common theme among all the companies I've featured. But what sets Zappos apart is the focus on creating a really fun workplace. But schools can learn from this too. I always say we're going to work hard and have fun while getting the job done. As we are working to re-imagine how school will meet the needs of the future, we should remember to enhance the fun factor. Learning should be fun, and we should celebrate a little weirdness, just like Zappos.


The Happiness Culture: Zappos Isn’t a Company—It’s a Mission



Resources

Here are a few of my favorite bloggers/authors who regularly write about innovation in education.


Eric Sheninger // @E_Sheninger

George Couros // @gcouros

David Culberhouse // @DavidCulberhouse

Don Wettrick // @DonWettrick


Related Articles

Why Learning Innovation Can't Come From Teachers Alone by Terri Heick

Two Words That Kill Innovation by Roger Martin

13 Barriers to Education Innovation by Tom Vander Ark

5 Ways Leaders Enable Innovation In Their Teams by Glenn Llopis

Innovation Doesn't Happen Behind Closed Doors by George Couros

Side note: I want to make clear that comparing public education to business should be done cautiously. My goal in this blogpost is not to imply public schools should exclusively try to be like businesses. The fundamental purpose of a business is very different from a school and that distinction is important. There are those who would like to privatize and even commercialize K-12 education, and that is harmful in my view.