The first week, we completed numerous ice breakers. Some of the kids' favorites were the Ball Toss Game, which challenged students to really learn their peers' names, and The Great Wind Blows, a classic game that demonstrates our commonalities.
In addition to all that, we discussed the concept of community by using the metaphor of a web and participated in a demonstration that actually had us create a web. Our scholars chatted about how each of us holds a piece of the web and that it gets weaker when someone drops their responsibility. Once that idea sunk in, we worked collaboratively to create our Classroom Shared Agreements. I was really impressed with how well the students did this and I know we're going to have a great year because of the groundwork they've laid.
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| Our 5th period community |
Last Friday, we held elections for our Classroom Presidents! All the candidates delivered speeches that were in tune with their classmates' desires and some even created posters or hired campaign managers. I can't wait to announce the winners today!
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| Campaigning is serious business |
