Sometimes we have to jump into the same adventures we ask our students to. I have always been interested in the Genius Hour project idea and have listened to multiple conference sessions that sing its praises. However, to actually find time and follow-through for a whole year with students, the idea seemed daunting. What if we did it first? What if we experienced the benefits of Genius Hour in our own lives before we asked students to embark on the same journey? We wouldn’t just be telling them about the benefits, we would be showing them the benefits from our own experience. The perfect time would be now since it’s not like we have the luxury of travel or social events anymore. We do have the luxury of time. Let’s explore some ideas!
1. Learning how to make the perfect biryani
Biryani is a layered rice dish with perfect bites of meat or chicken. Every single member of my family adores this dish and it’s terrible that I don’t know how to make it. It’s kind of tiring to hear my daughters talk about when the next family wedding is going to be because they know they’re going to get awesome biryani. In the middle of a pandemic, weddings are hard to come by. There must be a great biryani recipe I can follow online without buying a lot of tools. I am afraid of burning it and ruining biryani for my girls. However, there is no progress without a little bit of perseverance.
2. Learning how to death clean
My grandma died of Covid-19 this summer. She didn’t leave a lot of things behind and I’m not sure where her books are or even her saris perfectly perfumed with jasmine oud are. Her stuff just disappeared. I wish I had something from her that I could pass onto my own children. Someone told me that our family should have death cleaned properly in order to have a peaceful goodbye.
I found out that death cleaning is the Swedish system of decluttering someone does while they are alive to make sure every item in their house has a purpose and designation in the future when the unavoidable circumstance of one’s death will approach. For example, who will get my extensive Lord of the Rings DVD collection and memorabilia when I die? Who will have to deal with my spelling bee certificates from elementary school and why do I even have those items collecting dust on bookshelves? It’s a system of minimalism that has a sense of love, care, and purpose to make everyone’s life easier. This pandemic has taught me that I need only my family to be happy, not an endless amount of items. Death cleaning or minimalism helps families enjoy time together instead of panic cleaning or organizing. I’m afraid that if I start this journey, my husband won’t let me toss anything away. We would need to share this burden together to make sure we create a cleaner, organized future.
3. Learning how to ride a bike
I know. I know. Everyone is supposed to know how to ride a bike. I don’t! It’s about time I learn. My parents were immigrants and constantly changing jobs and homes while I was a kid. They didn’t have time to teach me while they were building our foundation for the future in America. Growing up, the bike seemed scarier and scarier. Now, my daughters ride their bikes with their dad and I just quietly read a book on the side. It might be serene but it’s also definitely not adventurous. I want to feel the wind on my face, zooming past my children, and enjoying that feeling in your lungs that your body can conquer anything. It’s springtime now and if I focus on the basics of bike riding, I think I can learn by summer! I could tell people in the future that I learned how to make banana bread and ride a bike during the pandemic!
What do you think? Which Genius Hour adventure would you like to see me embark on?
Hi, Mir! Your site is so impressive! I really enjoyed exploring different pages and hearing your voice and passion/purpose at the core of your teaching. Brava!
And, I love the audience engagement poll question at the end of this week’s post. I would vote for learning to ride a bike- as you mention, the timing is right. You will likely find yourself adventuring through summer with your family. What about learning to ride do you see as the biggest obstacle?
Regardless of which project you choose, I look forward to hearing how it goes. Best!
Juveriya, I think all of your ideas have potential but the one I’m drawn to when I read you write is learning how to ride a bike. I like the part about you describing the wind on your face and zooming past your daughters. If I were you, I would choose that one. It’s the perfect time of year for it and it will bring your joy, refreshment and exercise! I think tackling the perfect biryani can be saved for next fall and winter and as far as death cleaning goes, that sounds good but overwhelming. I’m sorry to hear that your grandmother passed away from Covid and that you weren’t able to get anything of hers to remember her by. I hope something comes your way eventually.
-Katie
Hi Juveriya,
All of your ideas sound great! My family enjoys a good biryani (we are looking forward to next weekend, when my mom said she will be making it for us to celebrate Navroze, the Persian new year)! I am sorry to hear about your grandma passing away and even more sad to think about how your family has not been given the same opportunities to celebrate her, remember her, and grieve for her that most people get. Ironically, I just read about death cleaning for the first time about a week ago. I have been trying to massively declutter my house, so this is an appealing concept to me. I think the name could use a less morbid tweak, however. Though this sounds amazing, it is definitely a daunting task to undertake during a crazy schoolyear while also having your own kids at home. The time-consuming work I have done to just declutter has barely made a dent in my house. This might be something I would save for the summer when you have a little more time. I am drawn to the riding a bike idea since it is spring, and learning it now will bring you many fun adventures while the weather is nice and your kids are young enough to enjoy doing it with you! Just don’t spend all summer riding and miss out on the chance to organize over the summer!
First, I would like to say that I’m sorry for your loss. Covid has taken so much away from so many. Second, I have never heard of a death clean. I find it interesting. I have way too much to clean and organize. I keep thinking that if I have less stuff in the house it would be way easier. Third, bite the bullet and learn how to ride a bike. I taught my son during the stay-at-home order. It was rough, but he finally got the hang of it. Your will love biking with your kids. I take my kids for bike rides all of the time. I pull my daughter in a bike trailer behind my bike. Plus, riding bikes is a great workout! I can’t wait to see where your journey take you. Good Luck!