Every four years, history repeats itself. The news becomes inundated with candidates expressing and announcing their interest in becoming POTUS, President of the United States. Candidates share their platform and try to appeal to the voters by talking about issues that are of interest to those who will vote. Sometimes they share plans and sometimes they share their qualifications…and sometimes they do not.

The purpose of this blog is to focus on the attributes, traits, qualifications, and duties of a President and to come up with some recommendations on who should be honored with the title. In order to understand the challenge, look at one’s self and those around us as a source of inspiration. Keep in mind, Presidents come from the general pool of citizens. They aren’t born into presidency,

There are a lot of smart honest, progressive people who I think can be good presidents.

Bernie Sanders

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/bernie_sanders_505497

A Personal Connection: The Elementary Years

I have always instilled in my children that they can be whomever and whatever they aspired, if they plan, study, and work diligently to meet the goal. As children usually do, they grew up aspiring to follow several different careers. As they became older, most of their childhood aspirations were no longer of interest to them.

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When my daughter was a little girl, perhaps four or five years old, she adamantly declared that when she grew up, she wanted to be a firefighter, teacher AND the President of the United States. When she was in second grade, after narrowing her decision down to teacher or President, she participated in a Budding Authors program where she wrote the story below, titled: President of the United States.

“Once upon a time, I wished I was President of the United States. Her name is Remel. Remel always wanted to be President of the United States of America. She thought it wasn’t fair that she was President and others weren’t. She wished she could have everybody be a president, but she just remembered that she had one wish and used it to be President of the United States of America. Then she remembered that she could find a person to undo the wish. Remel found someone but he forgot what to say. Remel helped and she wasn’t president anymore. She was now a regular kid who was a girl. When she wished she was president, the date was 6/1/01. Remel was happy again. Remel wanted another wish. She was looking for someone to make another wish. Two minutes later, Remel found him. Remel wished for 38,000,000 wishes until she wanted to stop and her wish was granted.”

Mercer University’s College for Kids’ Budding Author Program. Mercer University Douglas County Regional Academic Center Budding Authors 2004, p. 13. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Copy Center (2004); Roswell, Georgia: The National Library Bindery Company. The third poem is a poem using the past tense.

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My daughter made the final decision early in her school years, that becoming a teacher was what she really aspired to be. Although becoming president was no longer an aspiration, she understands to this day the importance of the job and of selecting a presidential candidate whose qualities and characteristics enhance our country and our way of life.

Fast Forward From Then to Now…To the Adult World

I will always remember the first time my children voted in a presidential election. My son had listened to anyone who had an opinion; had watched the debates; researched anything he though was either inaccurate or unclear. Once he went through his process and made up his mind, he didn’t waiver, even if it different from the candidate choice of my husband, myself or his friends. My daughter was more flexible on her views and had trouble deciding for whom she should vote. The rhetoric bothered her. Truth be told, if it was not for our strong belief in the importance of a vote and our respect for the historical journeys of other women trailblazers and the struggles of African Americans who helped earn the rights to vote, my daughter might not have voted. We will never know, because she now votes in most, if not all, elections.

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Are there specific criteria to become president? Are their qualifications more desirable than others? Are their similarities in those who have been elected to the coveted spot? What does it take? Do you have what it takes?

Regardless of what information the candidates present and share, they try to put forth their best foot so that people will vote for them. Some are sincere, some are not; some are qualified and others are not.

My Featured Book

My featured book for this post is “My Teacher For President,” written by Kay Winters and illustrated by Denise Brunkus. As an introduction to the book, I recommend that the reader(s) brainstorm who they would nominate as a candidate for president. To make it even more fun (and to stimulate divergent thinking), ask the readers to think of the “many, varied, and potentially unusual” people they would recommend; the “many, varied and unusual” people who should be president; the “many, varied, and unusual” people qualified to be president. As you can guess this could be incorporated with any age group and in any discipline.

What qualities do you need? Who should be President? Think about it. Of course there are the real candidates, but what about famous celebrities? Television reality stars? Singers/Musicians? Athletes? Famous Chefs? Ninja Warriors? Television judges? Super heroes? What other categories might you, your family, your children, your students generate? What about teachers? What about you?

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Through words and illustrations the Winter and Brunkus share the “many and varied” reasons that Oliver believes his teacher should be president of the United States. The book begins with Oliver writing a letter to a local television station, telling them that at school his class was learning about the president’s job and informing the station that based on their discussion, his teacher would be an ideal candidate. He seeks affirmation and asks for confirmation. The book begins with Oliver paying homage/tribute to his teacher by listing the reasons she should be president. Through the illustrations the reader can see how Oliver imagines his teacher in the country’s top position. ..things she likes, is accustomed to doing, used to being, reactions to the teacher when people are around, things she does, things she does for others, her passions, how she helps others, her characteristics, her beliefs,

This book, like many most children books, catapults discussions and has the potential to do the same for actions. It provides fun, opportunities to teach and learn, possibilities of engagement and a path to connections.

Engagement

• Brainstorm a list of qualities, traits and attributes are wanted in a President.
  • Public School Teachers, remember, do not judge responses and accept all answers, even if you disagree.
  • Parents your role is not as restricted.
  • Follow your school’s philosophy if teaching in a public school,
  • Be fair,
  • Be non-judgmental
• Write letters of nomination for a teacher to become a candidate for President. They can be posted, compiled or sent to Principal or Superintendent. Make sure that traits, attributes and qualities are included.)
• Create a campaign poster for your teacher’s “run” for President.
• Create a classroom campaign headquarters, assigning students with a variety of tasks that covers many disciplines. Some of the many, varied and potentially unusual tasks include:
  • Create posters
  • Design buttons
  • Create bumper stickers
  • Write press release
  • Create campaign brochures, flyers, and other paraphernalia.
  • Create fake Facebook Pages: (http://simitator.com/generator/facebook)
  • Create fake Twitter account: (http://simitator.com/generator/twitter
  • Create a PowerPoint or Prezi (Prezi.com) presentation
  • Create a Animoto Video (trial accounts and accounts free to teachers)
• Visit The Lemonade Stand for a great example of a chart used with teachers and access to some freebies.
• Create a list poem related to the qualifications, attributes, traits and responsibilities associate with a president.
• Create an acrostic poem using the letters of the word President or the name of the person you recommend for President.

Connections

• Conduct a classroom/grade-level/departmental/school-wide “Teacher for President” election.
  • Nomveinate teachers as candidates.Create a mock voting station in the media center or gymnasium, complete with voting stations.
  • When I was a high school administrator, teachers voted as Teachers of the Month became candidates for Teacher of the Year. Staff than voted for Teachers of the Year.
• Conduct a classroom/grade-level/departmental/school-wide Presidential election. Create a mock voting station in the media center or gymnasium, complete with voting stations and secret ballads.
• Use an Election Scavenger Hunt to create scrapbook pages (digital or hard copy) related to the elections. Below is an example of what can be included as part of the scavenger hunt, I am also attaching a few pages created by my son as a high school student. His scrapbook assignment was for his U.S. History class and covered more than the election; it included but was not limited to pages on space exploration, entertainment, fads, wars, music, events, technology, and other historical events and impacts. There were 100+ items on his list. The pages shared below represent the 1960 election and the 2008 election. There is also one of the pages reflecting a 2008 political cartoon.

More Connections Ideas

• Create digital presentations. Depending on the age of the reader powerpoints can be simple or complex. The following is an example found at Prezi:
  • Prezi (many more can be searched) – https://prezi.com/rf3i-szac-ts/political-scrapbook/
• Begin a scrapbook of current events related to the elections.
• Create an Election Artifact Scavenger Hunt or Time Capsule. My family doesn’t have an one specific to elections, but we do have artifacts that are part of our “Historical Scavenger Hunt” or “Historical Time Capsule.” Among the treasures are an autograph from Al Pacino that I got when he visited my high school after the release of “The Godfather” and pictures and a program from an educational panel that I sat on in 1988 with William Bennett when he was the United States Secretary of Education. We also have a copy of a program related to an MLK event in which I participated when I was in elementary school. But, back to presidential elections, the newspaper below is part of my family’s collection.

Among the candidates I have met and spoken with were Jesse Jackson (1984 campaign) when I served as a Delegate for Georgia at the NEA (National Education Association) Convention and Newt Gingrich (2012 campaign). I had met Newt earlier and served on one of his Georgia Education committees while he was House Minority Whip and in early years of his journey to Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. I taught school with his first wife, but before he became Speaker of the House and before his Presidential campaign. I never met Shirley Chisholm, but played her in a Black History Play when I was a middle and high school student. Talk about connections!