Students never cease to amaze me and what is more amazing is when we give our students the opportunity to be independent, empowering them and allowing them to take charge of their learning. Knowing they have a strong teacher behind them, supporting them, providing them with the resources, strategies, and skills they need to be successful....Notice I said BEHIND them, we should allow our students to be the drivers of their very own learning.

Student centered learning.....design thinking......innovation, teaching our students to appreciate the process, not just the final product! The WHAT, WHY, and HOW of their learning. These young minds have so much to offer to the world and with the advances in technology, and the ability to connect across the globe at this click of a button, why not take advantage of this new age!

If you are someone who tends to just provide your students with all of the information...take a risk! Allow your students to take charge.

There are so many wonderful ways to go about this, though they may feel challenging at first, you will be so happy you did it! Try a PBL or Genius Hour aka 20% time aka Passion Projects. Allow your students for one hour a week to work on whatever it is they are passionate about! There are so many resources out there a simple Google search will bring you into the world of Genius Hour. I was introduced to it by a colleague of mine, hesitant at first I had to comprehend it all. I then decided the following school year I would take the plunge and I am so grateful that I did.  Everyone has a genius of sorts, ones that often go unseen, so let them shine and be heard.

Here is some inspiration for you and resources from my very own class, I hope this helps to inspire you to take risks, jump into the new age, connect students and see that there are countless opportunities and methods to help our students achieve success and go far beyond their "full potential"...which should NEVER be full! We should be working to build curious minds who want to continuously grow and learn, who THRIVE to do just that.