Survey says ... Chinook Student Leadership Council presents findings

The Chinook School Division regular meeting was taught a lesson by a group of students yesterday. 

The members of the Chinook Student Leadership Council presented information focusing on their fellow students' preferences for hands-on learning and their utilization of career counselling. 

Annika Roberge and Bret Fahselt, two of the speaking members of the Chinook Student Leadership Council, were very happy with how their presentation went. Especially considering they had no time to really rehearse it with their fellow council members. 

"We had created the survey last meeting, and today we collected all of our data and created our presentation," said Roberge. "Today was our first day assembling all this information." 

Annika Roberge, Chinook Student Leadership Council member. 

The information showed that many students had begun to think of what they wanted to do after high school, and had gone to their career councillor to find out what best suited them. It went over how many students who responded to the survey had made use of, it and how many felt the information was of use to them after taking career counselling. 

The other half of the presentation went over what kind of learning habits students find most beneficial. Hands-on and active learning classes were preferred, leading to greater enthusiasm from respondents. About 14 per cent preferred more traditional learning, showing a shift away from classroom specification in student focuses. 

Another bit of information presented was on how spending a few minutes before class helped to energize and engage students. 

While some pen and pencil holders did get knocked down, the room was significantly more awake by the end of the ball toss. 

For example, the Chinook board members were invited to throw a ball around the meeting room for a quick minute to experience the invigorating effects of light physical activity. 

Not all of the information was based on the upsides of the current systems. Students were able to respond to the survey with what they struggled with, citing monotone presentations, and a lack of focus aids being the main concerns for youth in the classroom. 

"It's important that the students are able to truly say what they are struggling with," said Fahselt. "Through the surveys, students were saying they were struggling or frustrated, and hopefully we were able to find some ways to address some of those struggles."

Bret Fahselt, Chinook Student Leadership Council member. 

Ideas like fidget tools to help occupy a wandering mind, and physical activities like dodgeball to help break up a day were some of the featured solutions proposed by students. 

"Hopefully teachers are able to find more exercises to help get students more involved and able to focus better," said Roberge. "And just be more engaged in the classroom so that the students themselves can take more. out of school."

"Yeah, I just hope that they took everything that we said seriously," said Fahselt. "And that they can make school better for everybody."