Special Events - Building a School Community
The Compliment Tree
For the first couple of years of my teaching career, I was not much of a leader in the school community. I was an elementary school teacher, concerned about practice than what was happening outside the classroom walls.
That changed when I accepted a position in the middle grades in the pre-K to 9 school. The middle school students are the leaders of the school, charged with leading a community of students. I've never looked for a leadership role, but that needed to change.
Early on, I accepted any challange on behalf of my students. The first was the Terry Fox Walk, a cancer fundraising event to help fight cancer. We were in charge of stretches and organizing the route for the walk. That progressed to other events like pink week, and the compliment tree.
The biggest was sports day. Now that was tough on everybody. On sports day, the grade 9 students organize fun sports events for the entire school. We run the station, ensure safety, monitor students and generally try and give everyone a special day.
It's funny. Prior to my days as a middle school teacher, I would never say I was a natural leader. I still believe I'm not. Many of my students would admit the same.
We try though. I guess that's what's made the difference between success and failure
That changed when I accepted a position in the middle grades in the pre-K to 9 school. The middle school students are the leaders of the school, charged with leading a community of students. I've never looked for a leadership role, but that needed to change.
Early on, I accepted any challange on behalf of my students. The first was the Terry Fox Walk, a cancer fundraising event to help fight cancer. We were in charge of stretches and organizing the route for the walk. That progressed to other events like pink week, and the compliment tree.
The biggest was sports day. Now that was tough on everybody. On sports day, the grade 9 students organize fun sports events for the entire school. We run the station, ensure safety, monitor students and generally try and give everyone a special day.
It's funny. Prior to my days as a middle school teacher, I would never say I was a natural leader. I still believe I'm not. Many of my students would admit the same.
We try though. I guess that's what's made the difference between success and failure