Being a Class Representative is a Serious Deal!

Being a class representative is a role that should not be taken lightly, but it is also a position that is not always easy to grasp. That is why our School Life teams have organized training days for our middle and high school students. Led by Noémie, Fabienne, Nathalie, educational assistants, and Mrs. Maghoo, the Chief Educational Advisor (CPE), these days brought together our elected representatives from secondary school (French Stream) around essential citizenship-related topics and were met with great enthusiasm by our young delegates.

Objectives

The main objective of these training sessions is to enhance students' skills in representation and participation in the life of the institution. The specific objectives we aimed for:

• Developing listening and speaking skills: learning to listen to classmates' concerns and express them clearly during class meetings.
• Enhancing conflict management: acquiring tools and strategies to effectively manage conflicts within the class and in interactions.
• Promoting effective communication: raising awareness among students about the importance of clear, reliable, and respectful communication, especially on social media.
• Encouraging critical thinking: stimulating reflection on representations of conflicts and issues related to misinformation, to foster a critical perspective.
• Fostering civic engagement: encouraging students to become responsible actors within their institution.

As part of this training, a questionnaire was sent to the elected representatives to identify their concerns and the topics they wish to delve into further. The main themes that emerged are:

• Social media
• Representations of conflicts
• Communication

Training of class representatives from high-school

The high school students began the training with an icebreaker activity on the theme of rumors, which humorously explored the norms and challenges of effective communication.

Later on, they took part in practical workshops where they were engaged in role-playing exercises related to school life scenarios, conflict resolution exercises, and a 'True or False' game about social media. Their enthusiasm and interest were vivid and remarkable.

Training of class representatives from middle-school

The training sessions of 6e and 5e students took place at TKO, where we addressed similar themes through various differentiated activities. The students collectively reflected on the role of the delegate, note-taking, information sharing, and appropriate behaviors in specific situations. They also engaged in a simulated class council, thereby enhancing their understanding of the responsibilities associated with their role.

For 4e and 3e students, at TKO as well, workshops focused on communication and conflict management. A quiz session concluded the day, where teams like 'The Burning Cheetos' and 'It's Not Rocket Science' competed good-naturedly.

These days were marked by rich exchanges, constructive reflections, and a genuine ownership of the delegate roles within our institution. We would like to thank all participants for their involvement and enthusiasm, as well as all staff members involved in organizing these significant events.

We are eager to see the results of this training materialize in the future actions of the delegates and their positive impact on our school community.