A project to "Choose Kind"

It all started with my desire to encourage my honors students to begin becoming leaders within our school.  Most of these students, by the time they end their seventh grade year, will be inducted into NJHS and take one significant leadership roles within our school community.  However, not many of them really get to take on leadership opportunities outside of classroom projects.  (Yes this was a "classroom project" but not in the sense that there was a rubric and a grade and   all of that fun stuff that goes along with classroom projects.)  

Our project required quite a lot from my sixth graders.  This is how we went about it.


Choosing the project 

I set them up about a week before we actually voted on and began working on our project.  I told them to start thinking of ways that we could spread the idea of "choose kind" to the rest of the school.  When the time came, we started in 6 equal-ish groups.  Each group came up with three to four ideas for our project, discussing some major details of what it might look like, but not spending too much time fleshing it out just yet.  Then they narrowed it down to one-two that they really liked and made sure everyone understood the idea.

I gave each person in the group a number.  Then I had all the ones from each group come together, all the 2's, 3's, 4's, etc.  In these new groups they shared the two best ideas with their peers, explaining as needed.  Then the groups chose one--their best one out of all.

We put the finals for each group up on the board, even combining a few ideas to narrow it down to three or four different ideas.  Then they voted. The winning idea was to create a choose kind pledge drive, during which students could wear blue, sign the poster, and get a sticker that said they pledged to choose kind.

Figuring out the details

I had the students figure out the details.  We listed everything that needed to be complete. The only I added was that they needed to get permission (if they want to see change, they have to know who to ask to help them and how to do this).

They made a list, kept by three different people so we could make sure it all got done, formed committees, and signed up for the committees.

Working

I met with each committee to see what they needed from me and also to see where guidance was needed.  For example, my committee for the proposal, needed some guidance on how to word their request to administration and what types of information to include in that request.  ALso, my sign up committee wanted to ask students to arrive at school by 7:00 am to get set up.  I had to remind them that our first busses don't arrive until a little after 7:25 and also that I can't get to school that early due to child care.  We adjusted it to having them arrive at 7:15 to set up and then the next group arriving at 7:45 to continue helping.

Students had a "due date" and made sure they had posters, announcements, and stickers made and printed.

Students took their proposal to our vice principal for approval.

They monitored themselves, for the most part.  My biggest issue was that they were so excited that they got a little loud now and then in their eagerness.

Results

My students learns more about being positive leaders than they necessarily learned about reading skills or literary terms.  However, I think it's a positive experience that they all learned from and it gave them a chance to try on their leadership hats for the first time.  It's preparing them bigger and better leadership roles over their next few years at our school.

We reached a lot of students and had quite a few people wearing blue that day.  As a teacher, I was more than proud of them all.  I was inspired by their commitment and belief in kindness.