-Peter Drucker
This week felt like watching a tiny city grow inside our classroom. We began our unit of inquiry on How We Organize Ourselves by zooming in on one powerful idea: decision making. The students investigated the choices people make at home, at school, and in the community — then worked together to sort those decisions into the three places where they belong.
Once the decisions were grouped, the next question was: who makes them? Students sketched organizational charts for each setting. It was exciting to see their thinking unfold — some charts were neat and hierarchical, others were circular and collaborative, but all showed a clear attempt to explain “who decides and why.”
We then focused on the school setting and asked: what decisions can students make that actually spark positive change? That conversation naturally led to the student council and the idea of collective responsibility. I challenged the class to imagine themselves as a “school improvement committee” and propose realistic, helpful changes. Their proposals were thoughtful and practical. Many students suggested ways to keep the toilets clean by improving routines and encouraging respectful use; others focused on maintaining a peaceful hallway through behaviour agreements and thoughtful movement. Several groups emphasized using classroom resources mindfully to reduce waste and find opportunities to reuse materials. Many pupils also wanted to keep our environment clean and green, proposing campus tidy-ups and plant-care routines. Students designed persuasive posters to encourage their peers and wrote formal proposals to share with our leadership team. Their posters already show clear messaging and creative prompts to inspire classmates — and their proposals reflected empathy and problem-solving.
Parallel to this, the children began short essays about “Who I Am as a Leader,” connecting personal strengths to the learner profile attributes. These pieces are a work in progress, but they already reveal responsible thinkers and budding catalysts for change. I’m proud of how students are naming leadership as action, not just title — they’re seeing leadership as habits, choices, and care for others.
On a lighter, festive note, we enjoyed our Christmas tree lighting ceremony this week. Students received their advent calendars and had a sweet surprise for St. Nicholas Day: mikans to share and enjoy together. It was a warm, joyful moment that complemented our serious work with smiles and community spirit.
Next steps include finalizing and polishing leader essays to share with peers and, turning a few poster ideas into whole-class campaigns (for example, a “Green Week” or “Hallway Harmony” routines), and continuing to explore how formal and informal decision-making structures shape our daily life.
Thank you for supporting your child as they try on leadership and practice making decisions that matter. I’m excited to help them bring one or two of their school-improvement ideas to life soon.
Have a wonderful weekend to all of you.
Your homeroom teacher,
Ms. Pam
No comments:
Post a Comment