At our retreat this year we asked our students the question – “Are you a Leadership Kid or a kid taking Leadership?”
A Leadership Kid shows up for the lunch time activity. A kid taking leadership class asks if they have to be there because that is their free time. A Leadership Kid shows up after school to decorate while a kid taking leadershipclass checks first to see if they get marks for coming. A Leadership Kid figures out a way to attend an assembly or retreat while a kid taking leadership doesn’t come because they would have to then write a test after school cutting into their time. A Leadership Kid loves being there, works hard, and usually gets a great grade too. A kid taking Leadership may get a great grade, or they may not. But their experience is not near as rich as the Leadership Kid’s.
We encourage our students to be Leadership Kids, not just a kid taking Leadership.
I have attached a sheet that we used at our last retreat. They brainstormed the differences between a Leadership Kid and a kid taking Leadership. Then we had them pick three goals for themselves during the semester. Their goals are posted in the room and at the halfway point and end of term they get to see how they are doing. Hope this is a help to you.
Brent Dickson 