Today we held our primary elections in kindergarten. There were 11 nominations for class president yesterday and today we discussed voting and secret ballots and voting for the person best suited for the job. They all voted and we tallied the results. Two kids came out as clear winners but then we had to do a second round of voting because everyone after that tied with 1 vote each. We voted a second time and the race is now down to five - Abas, Asli, Mohamed, Jamila, and Adan.

We won’t vote for president for a couple weeks. The kids still need to write and present speeches and we need to talk about what a president’s job is. I’m dying to know who will be our class president.

I’ll try and tape the speeches. They are going to be good.

Yesterday in class we discussed the qualities a class president should have. Today the class nominated people to run for president. It looks like we are going to have a primary election before the general elections. They nominated 11 people. But they really considered who they nominated. They didn’t name the popular kids, or the kids who are always in trouble. The list we had is, for the most part, the leaders of our class. And it’s also 3 kids that are the last 3 I would have picked. One is just beginning to learn English so honestly, I was surprised she understood what was going on, the second is sort of a spaz and in general doesn’t have a clue as to what is going on, and the third, well, I can count on one hand the number of words she has said in front of the class, she’s that shy. But every time a kid was nominated, I asked if they wanted to accept the nomination. Several kids said no. But these three gave a solid yes. So we’ll see how it goes. Tomorrow they will vote by secret ballot to see which 3 kids will run for president.

It’s exciting to see them so excited about this whole process. They are really taking to heart who they want to nominate and who would make a good president. They are also really into using words like nominate, second the nomination, secret ballot, election, primary, all those big words. I just hope this excitement carries through and the student council is successful.

Last week it was announced that every class needs to elect a class president by the end of the month. The Class Presidents will make up the school student council. Mr. Jeremy and I are the faculty advisors.

My class is pretty excited about the whole process. We’ve been following the primaries pretty close (as much as a kindergarten can) and so the whole democratic process is fascinating to them.

Today we discussed the qualities found in a good president. Some things that made the list:
Kind
Write and say speeches
Responsible
Keep their name on green light
Play nicely
Honest
Follow directions and rules
Listen to people when they talk

Tomorrow we will have nominations for the primary elections. They can’t nominate themselves. And at least 2 people have to want them to be president. They’ve been buzzing about it all day. Some kids were telling their friends that they would nominate them and others were campaigning for a nomination. And much to my surprise, I only have a handful of kids who really want the job. I think the thought of giving a speech is stopping a few from running.

I’ll let you know who the nominees are tomorrow.

It was a good thing that days 4 and 5 were half days.

Here is yesterday’s schedule:
8:00 - 8:30 Breakfast
8:30-9:00 Morning Meeting (with me repeating the phrase, “I’ll wait” about 5000 times)
9:00 - 9:30 Practicing putting on coats and backpacks. Quietly.
9:30-10:00 Bathroom Break and then practicing sitting quietly for bathroom break.
10:00 - 10:30 Gym class
10:30-11:00 World Language
11:00 - 11:30 Lunch
11:30-11:45 Getting ready to go home

See how jam packed that was with academics? Kinda sad that we didn’t get anything done.

Today was a little better - we’ve moved past Anger and have now reached Bargining. Today they got to practice using the math toys. We worked on using them quietly and carefully. We also worked on playing with/sharing with our friends and staying in the group they were supposed to be playing with as well as cleaning up quietly and quickly. And there was success. They played quietly, they were having fun with out being crazy. They were coming up with their own “games” and working together. They cleaned up relatively quietly. And then the bargining started. “Since we did such a good job, can we have our stuff back now?” “Can we do all of this again on Monday? We promise, we’ll be quiet.” And on and on it went for another hour.

We’re still practicing Monday. And Tueday. And Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. And possibly the Monday after that.

Today there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Tomorrow there will be much practicing.

It’s a really good thing tomorrow and Friday are half days.

Funny side note, we have half days because it is time for parent-teacher conferences. Hmmm…what ever are we going to talk about?

I’m pretty sure that my little experiment is sending my kids through the 5 stages of grief.

Yesterday they were pretty much in denial that all there stuff was gone.

Today was Anger. There was crying, there were temper tantrums, there was flat out refusal to do work, there were trips to the office, there were snide comments that school is boring and I am a mean teacher. My guess the anger stage is going to take a couple days to work through.

But I see bargaining in the near future, lots of “please can I have_______? I promise I’ll be good.” and maybe some depression when they learn the answer is still no.

Hopefully acceptance will come soon.

Here’s the highlights from Kindergarten Bootcamp, Day 1.

When they saw everything covered their first thought was that I was getting them all new stuff. Umm, let me think about that…No.

They didn’t quite understand that they have nothing left to use until it was time for learning labs. I asked them to look around and tell me what stuff we could use for learning labs and what centers were still open. When their answer was “nothing” I think they got it.

The point was made even more clear when Ms. Melanie came in and asked who was coming to special groups with her and I said no one because we had to practice. Melanie fed right into it and talked about how she was sad because she had a fun new game to try and now she couldn’t and she would be back on Wednesday to see if anyone was ready to come with her, blah, blah, blah. By this point I had a few on the verge of tears. Things were starting to sink in.

The best reaction of the day was when I explained that there was going to be no learning labs and no write away and that it was going to take more than one day to earn their supplies back - from the back of the room I hear, “shit, she’s really serious.”

Yep, I’m serious.

I am now the coolest. teacher. ever. I own the Kim Possible Movie. The book we are reading in reading class has a character named Kim. And the kids realized it was “like Kim Possible”. I agreed with them and they were shocked that I knew who Kim Possible was. But they were even more impressed when I wowed them with my knowledge of Ron Stoppable, Rufus, “what’s the sitch’, Wade?”, Ninja Monkeys, and “call me, page me, beep me. Anyway you want to reach me.” We sort of lost focus of reading class for about 15 minutes while we discussed the finer points of Kim Possible. Today was indoor recess - being the great teacher that I am guess what movie my kids got to watch?

What Kevin and I did for Valentine’s Day (because I know you are dying to know):

Nothing. But we never make a big deal out of Valentine’s Day.

What the Kindergarten class did for Valentine’s Day:

We made a banner for the school secretary listing all the reasons we thought she was great. (The list included reason’s like “she gives us band-aids”, “she helps us when we are in trouble”, “she tells us if we have inside or outside recess”). We hung them outside her office, asked her come out to the hallway and said “surprise.”

What the rest of the school did for Valentine’s Day:

When 98% of the school is Somali and 100% of the school is Muslim, Valentine’s Day is not a holiday that most of the families celebrate - honestly, I don’t think the kids really knew what it was until we talked about. We tend not to focus on the love part, we put most of the emphasis on appreciating someone or friendship.

Anyway, most of the classes made Valentine’s for their reading buddies or for other teachers and delivered them throughout the day.

Best reaction to a Valentine:

When Maryama (6th grade) delivered a card to Mohamed (kindergarten), Mohamed, in the most dramatic voice imaginable, yelled for the whole room to hear, “Oh man! I can’t believe I got one from a girl!”

My three favorite valentines:

From Warda:
“I appreciate you because I like the way you to your class.”

From Mumtaz:
Deer Ms. Abby Thank you fore teaching me how to rite gud end teeching hou to reed iksrshen. Lev Mumtaz*

*translation: Dear Ms. Abby, Thank you for teaching me how to write good and teaching how to read English. Love Mumtaz (Mumtaz was in my kindergarten class last year)

From Hafsa:
Dear Ms. Abby Your very nice and won I was at kinnagrden you was nice to me I was happy and you clas is nice and you are nice alway I wish i was in kinnagrden. Hafsa*

*translation
Dear Ms. Abby You’re very nice and when I was at kindergarten you was nice to me I was happy and you class is nice and you are nice always. I wish I was in kindgarten. Hafsa. (again, one of my girls from last year)

So, that was my Valentine’s Day. How was yours?

Today is the 100th day of kindergarten. The kids love it. I hate it. Okay I don’t really hate it but like all special days that involve doing something out of their normal routine, a special activity or snack, it makes them crazy and it makes my job that much more….interesting.

Today we had “100 Day” learning labs - going to 10 different stations and gluing, drawing or sticking 10 things on a bag to equal 100. We also had “100 Day” math mysteries. We strung fruit loops into necklaces (sorting them by color in groups of 5) until we had 100 fruit loops. We had our “100 Day” snack. A pretzel rod and 2 cookies. (Picture it - it makes the number 100.) Now they are sitting quietly (and I use that term very loosely - really they are giggling, standing up, coming up to my desk, trading books back and forth, falling on the floor, thumb wrestling, wandering around) trying to come down from their sugar high.

Tomorrow, unfortunately is Valentine’s Day. I cannot handle two “fun” days in a row. Good thing we are not having a party tomorrow. Just working on a super-secret project.