I left my first teaching job after only two years. I arrived at my new school after a friend of mine helped me get an interview. She subsequently left me after a year. Anyway, my new school already had a Student Council Adviser. She was, however, a very busy young woman. She was, if I recall correctly, also the cheerleading coach, a softball coach, a class sponsor, and one of the sponsors for the engineering team. I offered to help her with Student Council and slowly but surely, by the end of the year, I was the sole sponsor.
I had made the vow at my previous school to fight hard for my students, and that's just what I did. I learned very quickly that my new school hadn't had a Homecoming pep rally or a non-Homecoming dance in several years. It seems that the biggest things this Student Council accomplished every year were the Homecoming Spirit Days and the parade - no small feat, I will tell you! Apathy on everyone's part had to be defeated or at least addressed head on. Unfortunately, the many of the seniors I inherited for my first full year as the only adviser weren't really interested in working for me. That first president, however, was great. I remember when she worked all day on an award that we had no chance of winning, but she wanted to prove that we could complete the task. She called me at home around 11 at night to tell me she was done and I rushed to her house to take her and the award package to the 24-hour post office. I paid, with my own money to overnight that binder. This is the precise moment where I can pinpoint how my life would be changed by my involvement with Student Council.
My third year at the school and my second year as THE adviser witnessed some amazing accomplishments. We hosted a conference for the Michigan Association of Student Councils, brought in an amazing speaker (Stu!), had dances, and our first Homecoming pep rally. The next year, we finally won that award and continued sponsoring more and more events. The my fifth year at the school would be the most eventful. We hosted a conference on the other side of the state (Grand Rapids area), won that award again, and sponsored our first Blood Drive. My students nominated me for the Adviser of the Year - which I won for the county. Each year, I found that my presidents got stronger and more capable of acting without me holding their hands. That is exactly what I hoped would happen. I regularly stayed at school until 6, getting things ready for activities. Over the years, I have spent hundreds of my own dollars for whatever we have needed.
We have hit many rough patches. The first leave I took and then this most recent one seemed to cause a bit of a vacuum in leadership, at least among the general members. Students have become a little less dedicated to putting in time and effort. I probably lost a little focus when I became a mother. I want that edge back. Student Council is what has kept me teaching. I love the camaraderie with the kids and sense of pride we all feel when we have pulled off a big task.
I just met with my new officers this morning and I am so excited to start on the new year. We might not hit the lofty highs of past years, but we will accomplish far more than any of them believe.
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