Most days at Richard T. Stank Middle School don't start with ping pong, wiffle ball, rock painting, board games, crochet, puzzles, origami and decorating the school. But Friday, October 28 was no ordinary day at RTS. The day began with Genius Hour, an approach to learning in which students are guided by their own interests, background knowledge, and curiosity.
One of the organizers, Jessica Wright explained that she and co-organizer Terri Howard began preparing for Genius Hour activities at the end of last year, having students select different groups they would be interested in. Over the summer, Wright and Howard organized the students into groups based on their shared interests. "The idea is to build relationships the students might not otherwise have," said Wright.
Along with the previously mentioned activities, students also explored their shared interests in Dreamboards, historical movies, Fantasy Football, meditation/yoga, swimming, photography, and science experiments. Another Genius Hour is planned for this month.PHOTOS FROM THE OCTOBER 28 GENIUS HOUR