My Project Reflection

 The importance of the Genius Hour Question

 

 Self-Reflection

At the beginning of Week 3, I thought that I should have started with a more specific question. I put the pressure on me to complete majority of what was left for the boat restoration project as a whole. This did not account for the other variables in my life at the time. In addition to this Genius Hour project, I am also in a Teacher Education Program that has 5 other classes going on at the same time. Even though I made the boat higher on the priority list, school as a whole always came first; I needed to make sure that I was performing to the best of my abilities in all of my courses, not just within the Genius Hour Project.

I also experienced that setting smaller goals, that I could achieve without adding too much stress to the rest of my schedule, helped keep my confidence levels up (since I was achieving these goals regularly), and it kept me interested in this project which in turn kept me going through the restoration process. Many times before I would set an unrealistic goal of finishing the boat in a few weekends and having it ready to be put in the water, and then quickly have my morale depleted resulting in me walking away from this project.

Lastly, I have realized how therapeutic this process has been for me. I am engaged, I am learning new things, and it is within a learning environment that I have chosen for myself. Instead of learning in front of a computer screen, taking notes, and viewing synchronous sessions, I am engaged with learning within my garage on Project Gilligan. This opportunity has allowed me to reflect and see the value in exposing a learner to a variety of learning environments; to go beyond the stereotypical classroom and dive into something hands on! Go for it! You will not regret it!

I would also like to reflect on a few other takeaways from this project that I would like to integrate into my own teaching practices. With respect to what I have been learning thus far in this program, getting to know students and making sure students embrace and recognize their own identity is of the utmost importance as an educator. It achieves the goal of students feeling valued which provides them with a much more positive learning experience. With the use of tools like the Genius Hour project, students are able to take the wheel and explore something that they are passionate about; and the beauty of this framework is that the project can literally be about anything! You want have wanted to try and dunk a basketball? That can be your project! You like to play video games? That can be your project! You want to see how well you can bake bread in six weeks? That. Can. Be. Your. Project! This is a beautiful activity that I plan to incorporate in whatever grades I end up teaching, thank you Susan for this opportunity and thank you for making me feel valued!

Moving Forward

I will be continuing this Genius Hour and seeing this project through to the end. For anyone reading this, you can continue to check to see the updates on the boat moving forward! The next goal is to see how far I can get with the restoration project before the wrap up of 2020! I recognize that I am fortunate to have this space to work on the boat as the weather becomes harsh, so it will be interesting to see how progress continues as the temperature drops! Brrrrrr!

I also want to discuss the motivation I have generated that will hold me accountable to complete this restoration project. My wife Sara (wedding photographer extrordinaire and owner of Memorable Treasures Photography) is always thinking about new and creative ways to capture beautiful moments as a photographer. After working on this restoration project I thought of a potential idea for an out of the box photo shoot. Once the boat is completed, I am hoping to offer a unique photography experience where people can be photographed on the boat I restore! We would take individuals out on the water in my dad's boat, transfer them to Project Gilligan (which will be anchored in place), and capture the beautiful moment from the other boat!

To conclude, this Genius Hour project has allowed me to realize that this boat can and will get done, all I need to do is make sure I set it as a priority, and celebrate each and every small accomplishment I do on the project in order to keep moral high and the sander spinning!

Thank you to all who have come along for the ride thus far, those who will be new to this project in the future, and to those who will continue to stay on board in order to see this restoration project completed!

Cpt. John signing off! (not really a captain)