Leadership Triathlon
Cathe Felz, National Consultant Team
Connecting All Teens to Leadership
• People who become leaders don’t
always
seek the
challenges
they
face. Challenges also seek
leaders.
• James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, Student
Leadership Practices Inventory
Leadership is typically reserved for the
“Best” and “Brightest.”
Focusing only on these teens . . .
Limit the potential
of so many
students.
Students begin to believe only
“good” students can be
successful.
Creative answers to
community issues are
lost.
Benefits to schools
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Better attendance.
Higher retention rates.
Fewer failed classes.
Positive participation.
Positive contributions to class discussions.
Greater confidence in speaking at meetings.
Take on peer leadership roles with
confidence.
• Confidence in resolving conflict.
Benefits to Students
• Increased empathy in community
service projects.
• Higher GPA than non leadership participants.
• Increased involvement in school decision making
process
• Increased interest in post secondary or CTE training.
– Source Building Everyday Leadership in All Teens,
MacGregor, M.S. 2007
Facilitating Leadership Activities
• Be personally enthusiastic.
• Maintain control over the students and the
activity.
• Be the time keeper.
• Be flexible.
• Watch what is happening.
• Assist in grouping students so everyone is
included—colored stars, cards, role the dice.
Where to begin
• Be prepared—collect equipment
ahead of time.
• Focus the group on the topic of the
activity so they know the purpose.
• Be familiar with activity and how it
works. Do a dry run before
presenting activity to your group.
• Read through instructions ahead of
time.
• Select 5 to 7 discussion questions
ahead of time.
Our Job is . . .
• To teach teens that leading is
as much promoting positive
attitudes and respect as achievement.
• Create a safe environment for practicing and
testing leadership skills.
• Promote positive interaction between
students from a variety of backgrounds.
Controlling the Situation
• Establish a way to call the group back to order.
• Make directions short and to the point.
• If possible demonstrate what you want the
group to do.
If it Ain’t Workin’ Fix it
• Be patient, it may take some time for the
students to get used to a new approach.
• If things aren’t working during the activity
stop the activity or make adjustments to fix it
for the students.
• If activities don’t turn out the way you want.
Keep trying! Perfect takes practice.
• Make adjustments for the needs of your
students.
• Start small. One class, one activity, or a small
group. Try it on your teacher friends.
Leadership Hula
• In teams of 5 to 7people form a circle facing
each other.
• Hold out two fingers at shoulder level of the
tallest person on your team.
• Lay a hula hoop across everyone’s fingers.
• You assignment is to lower the hula hoop to
the ground without loosing contact with the
hoop.
• If anyone on the team looses contact with
the hula hoop at any point. The group must
start over with the hula hoop at shoulder
level.
Discussion points
• Was it easy to lower the stick to the
ground?
• What was the groups reaction to not being
able to get the stick to lower quickly?
• What did your group do to solve the
problem?
• At what point were you able to lower the
stick?
• What technique worked the best for your
group?
Class projects
• Select and Plan a community service project
as a group.
– Culinary Arts prepare lunch for the senior center
• Curriculum connections- food safety, preparation skills,
serving. National Program-Community Service
• Plan and implement a fundraiser as a group.
– Babysitting service for a community event plan
activities related to bike or pedestrian safety
• Curriculum connections-planning age appropriate
activities, ages and stages of development, safety.
National Program- FACTS
• Complete one national program as a class.
National Program as a Class Project
• Plan a variety of activities throughout the
semester related to the national program
• All students participate, all students take
leadership roles, chapter members can
participate after school or during class time
• Students write press releases, newspaper
articles, take pictures, prepare presentations,
develop plans as part of the regular class
assignments.
National Programs
• Use the questions from the national programs
as the questions for writing assignments.
• Students research topic such as number of
teens killed in traffic accidents, number of
area residents on active duty, or number of
officers killed in the line of duty.
• Students develop a list of possible partners,
make contacts, and plan events.
Assessment
Participation in Activity 10 pts
Writing assignment 15-25 points
Researching a Leader project 100-150 points
Homework Assignments 10-50 points
Give discussion questions as a writing assignment–
Writing Across the Curriculum
Pre and post Student Leadership Practices Inventory
(Kouzes and Posner)
.
The Unique Role
of
to
leaders is to take us
places
we’ve never
been
before.