Trevor Mattea
  • Home
  • Portfolio
    • Academics >
      • Art
      • Conferences
      • Field Trips
      • Homework
      • Language
      • Math
      • Music
      • Odds and Ends
      • Physical Education
      • Reading
      • Science
      • Social Studies
      • Writing
    • Community >
      • Ask Me Anything
      • Class Meetings
      • Classroom Camera
      • Classroom Design
      • Critique
      • Parent Meetings
      • Schedule
      • Site Council
      • Social-Emotional Learning
      • Student Council
    • Projects >
      • O Brainy Book
      • The BSE
      • Hungry for Change
      • Apples to Apples
      • A Puzzling City
      • Enormous Ears
      • Pamphlet Power
      • Survey Says...
      • Ygol Ohtna
      • Anthology
      • Exhibitions
    • Portfolios
    • Articles
    • Resources
    • Professional Growth
  • Consulting
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • About

Blog

Student Council

12/15/2013

0 Comments

 
Earlier this year, I volunteered to advise our school's first iteration of a student council. Before I began meeting with students, I had been reading about democratic schools, in which students of all ages work alongside teachers in order to carry out school business, including school rules, funding, and hiring new staff. I hoped that student council could be a way to develop our students' leadership skills so that they too could have a meaningful voice in the direction of their school. 

Students created a body that is open to all 3-5 students and driven by their passions and interests. The student council is not comprised of elected representatives, and its mission is not to carry out initiatives developed by adults in the school community. It is open to all students and focused on issues generated by students, and students do the work. My job is not to make sure that it accomplishes its goals in a timely manner. I see my role instead as posing questions to the group and modeling democratic processes. This makes progress slower, but it is the students' progress, and it results in deeper, more authentic learning experiences.

During their first meetings, students brainstormed a list of problems affecting them and prioritized those problems in order of importance. They identified conflicts at recess as the most pressing issue facing students. Student council members next prepared a survey for the student body in order to gain greater insight into that problem. Student council is currently in the process of analyzing survey data so that they can brainstorm possible solutions and eventually present those to our principal.

I have been impressed with their eagerness to tackle complex problems and the sophistication of their proposed solutions. I have also been reminded that if we want children to grow into responsible citizens, we must give them actual responsibilities. Moving forward, I hope to strengthen our student council as well as other ways for students to exercise voice and leadership in our school community.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    About Me

    Blogging my work as a teacher, educational consultant, speaker, and host of New Books in Education.

    Blogroll

    • Brightworks
    • Clive on Learning
    • Dan Meyer
    • ​Education Today
    • ​EmpowerMINT
    • ​​Freedom to Learn
    • ​K12 Lab Network
    • Lefty Parent
    • Mike's Math Page
    • ​​​Questioning My Metacogniition
    • Symphony of Ideas​
    • Taught by Finland
    • ​Teaching with Problems
    • Thoughts on Raising Citizens​​
    • UnschooledMasters

    Archives

    June 2018
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013

    RSS Feed

I believe that education is a process of living and not a preparation for future living. -- John Dewey
  • Home
  • Portfolio
    • Academics >
      • Art
      • Conferences
      • Field Trips
      • Homework
      • Language
      • Math
      • Music
      • Odds and Ends
      • Physical Education
      • Reading
      • Science
      • Social Studies
      • Writing
    • Community >
      • Ask Me Anything
      • Class Meetings
      • Classroom Camera
      • Classroom Design
      • Critique
      • Parent Meetings
      • Schedule
      • Site Council
      • Social-Emotional Learning
      • Student Council
    • Projects >
      • O Brainy Book
      • The BSE
      • Hungry for Change
      • Apples to Apples
      • A Puzzling City
      • Enormous Ears
      • Pamphlet Power
      • Survey Says...
      • Ygol Ohtna
      • Anthology
      • Exhibitions
    • Portfolios
    • Articles
    • Resources
    • Professional Growth
  • Consulting
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • About