Changing “Genius Hour” to “Challenge Hour” : Fostering Growth Mindset in Classrooms

Presentation:  Kate Dawson

Session A | 9:00 – 9:40 | Location: Room 304 A

Abstract:

As a TC in the BEd program, I am required to complete an inquiry project. I chose to investigate what happens when an educator encourages their students to challenge themselves and the ways that those challenges encourage a growth mindset. I was lucky enough to have a SA who was more than happy to allow me to investigate my inquiry with her class of grade six and seven students. They had thirty days to challenge themselves with a new skill (some topics they chose included crocheting, painting, and solving a rubix cube algorithm), and then they presented for their classmates. I think that there are significant benefits to asking students to challenge themselves, which is why I propose we change our view on “genius hour” to include an element of challenge. I found that when I challenged my students, they chose things that were outside of their comfort zones, and now they have skills that they can pursue in the future. As a whole, the thirty day challenge was an excellent way for my students to try something new in an environment that they knew was safe and comfortable. I encourage other teachers to try challenging their students (and themselves!) as much as possible to give everyone a chance to grow and try something new.
Return to Presentation Schedule