CSLC Withdrawal – Missing My Crew Means Ideas For You

Last week was tough.  I was supposed to be in Yorkton SK for CSLC 2020 (Canadian Student Leadership Conference). Instead I’ve got a mask on my face and trying to figure out a Leadership program in Covid times.  I am grateful to be back and with kids.  But I was missing the energy, enthusiasm, ideas, and friendships from CSLC.  Jackie G suggested that the Calgary Leadership Crew needed to get together for a day of team building and idea sharing.  So last Thursday advisors from several Calgary High Schools got together.  What a great day. I had fun and came away with energy, ideas, and a stronger Calgary Leadership Advisor network. So in the spirit of sharing ideas and energy here are some you can try in your class or school. 

Behind The Mask – Instagram

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Thanks to Crescent Heights @crescentcowboys for the idea.  Take pictures of staff or students first with their mask on and then without the mask – social distanced of course.  Share a short write up telling their story.  For more examples go to @chscoyote and @epslancers.  I have kids who I wouldn’t recognize right now without their masks.  Anything that builds connections helps. 

SBIAXLNAETNTAERSS?

Class Idea – Six Letters 

Write on board SBIAXLNAETNTAERSS – tell class to write the letters down on their own sheet of paper.  Then tell them to remove six letters from the word and they will find a common English word – you do not need to rearrange their order (actually take out word “six letters” and bananas is left) 

Usually it takes them a long time to get it or they may not.  Occasionally someone gets it quick.  Then debrief what the big leadership ideas are: Only one point of view – determination – working together etc. 

More activities like this come from the book Springboard which you can purchase from the CSLA website https://studentleadership.ca/product/springboard/

Getting Unstuck – Cobra Kai and Mike Smith – Class Activity

Thanks to Jackie Groat at Wisewood for this idea. We do Mondays With Mike where we show Mike Smith Harbor videos.  To begin I showed a video clip from Cobra Kai where kids need to get unstuck in a cement mixing truck.  Lots of my kids recognized and connected with the clip.  Then show them The Harbor Season 6 Episode 25. We then finished the activity with a debrief of the three things they identified you need to do to get unstuck.  

If you haven’t accessed The Harbor before it is a great resource.  Your school’s Jostens rep can get you logged in.  https://www.jostensrenaissance.com/theharbortv/

Keep being Relentless in finding ways to deliver Student Leadership in your schools.  Better yet, be Relentless Together – I am grateful for my Calgary Crew. 

Please pass this post on to someone in your Crew who you think would benefit from these ideas.

Brent