Class Elections and Cootie Catchers

CLASS ELECTION

We have not had a Student Council in a few years.  This year we've got one again.  Our election in our class was so awesome for me.  This past week was not one of the best.  Lots of deadlines all in the same week.  Such fun! I squeezed in nominations, campaigning, and the election into an already crammed week.  As you know, when you cram things in, they are not done with justice.  Except this time, these children stepped up on their own.  It was a sweet thing to watch.  I walked through the the nomination process of nominating, seconding, etc.  We got ten candidates.  I allowed the ones who did not want to run to bow out of the race.  We ended up with six candidates.

On their own, they made posters and campaigned.  It was so cute!!  I was amazed.  The candidates made their promises and told why they'd be the best representatives for the class.  One girl (one of the two eventually elected) said she would make a great representative because she had a lot of school spirit and showed it.  Yes she does.  Our election coincided with mustache day and she was sporting a walrus mustache while wearing a school t-shirt.

When it was time for elections, I was just going to pass out ballots.  The students were having none of that.  They wanted voting booths.  They wanted pomp and circumstance!  I dug out my homemade privacy shields, got a box for dropping in ballots, and started calling students back to the voting area. They had a blast.  I had a blast watching them.  Then I tallied up the votes and we had two new representatives!

COOTIE CATCHERS

I was reading on Runde's Room about how she uses cootie catchers.  I love cootie catchers!  I marked off the lines, added in the information I wanted them to focus on, and used them for a math review for the chapter test.  The kids were really engaged in the review!  I gave them a sheet for figuring and writing down answers, and they used a clipboard--but not text books or math journals.  I told them they had to answer all eight questions.  They moved around the room and worked with a partner.  I think I will use them as a review for Science as well.  The possibilities are endless.  As a result of the math journals and the review, for the first time ever, my students did well on the Place Value chapter!  Yay!!