Student Council

If I'm honest, I want nothing to do with the idea of student council.  Really.  It seems like a lot of work, and I've got a pretty full plate.  One of my goals this year is to say "no" more often, so I can focus more energy on fewer things that are important to me.  So when I was approached by one of my students, Tiandra, about starting a student council, I hesitated.  I put it off.  Finally, I told her that if she put together a proposal that outlined what she envisioned "student council" to be, I'd look it over.

3 full, hand-written pages later, I felt like I couldn't say no.  She'd put so much thought into this concept, I had to say yes.  A lot of her ideas were far-fetched and impractical, but a lot of them were REALLY good.  Her idea of a student council that focused on community service, creating a sense of camaraderie between students, and eliminating bullying really spoke to me.

After reviewing with Tiandra what we both deemed important to the student council, I set up the rules for each position:  president, vice-president, secretary, & treasurer.  I outlined the expectations for the campaign, their speeches, and the election itself.

Each candidate had to submit an application, and in turn, received 4 blank posters to create their election posters.

They had a week to put up posters, give out stickers, and campaign during recess & lunch.  Then each candidate had 3 minutes to give a speech to convince their fellow classmates why he/she was the best person for the job.  Most of the candidates' speeches didn't come close to that limit, but they put a lot of effort in to it.  I applaud the students who stood up in front of a crowd of people and give a speech.  It takes courage & I don't think I would have had the guts to do it when I was in 6th grade.

After the speeches, the students returned to the classrooms and voted.  I tallied their votes and announced the winners at the end of the day.  There were a few tears, but overall I think the students elected some great candidates.  Unfortunately, Tiandra, our original organizer, was not elected, but she will still have an important role as the council develops.  I'm excited to see what they have in store for their classmates (and me!) as the year continues!

What does student council look like for your school?  Any ideas as I get this off the ground?!