A climate for learning which is respectful, trusting and collaborative recognises that student empowerment enhances the work of teachers, brings immediate benefits to student learning, and improves school pride. Student leaders have an increased sense of responsibility to help others and to model leadership principles and values.
Trust, autonomy and relationships are enhanced through the development of leadership qualities. In many schools, leadership positions are by election or appointment. Students who aren't interested in clubs or extracurriculars may leave high school without appreciating or developing their leadership ability. It's essential all students, regardless of personality traits or learning types, have the opportunity to develop leadership qualities in their learning environment.
Outdoor education supports the development of leadership skills in all students, including those that might not have otherwise had the opportunity. Outdoor education is uniquely placed to address the capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities of the Australian Curriculum. Outdoor education directly addresses the need for learning for life and the fervent need for students to develop vital capabilities such as leadership, communication, critical and creative thinking and personal and social responsibility.
These cross-disciplinary capabilities empower students to become independent learners and problem-solvers. It is these skills which are developed, practised and demonstrated when students have the opportunity to engage in an outdoor education program. Outdoor learning provides a range of unique experiences to engage and develop learners in a holistic way.
Outdoor education is designed to develop a learner's ability to interact effectively with others and increase their aptitude for leadership within the context of outdoor activities. An additional value of outdoor education is the development of a higher state of emotional intelligence. Daniel Goleman , a psychologist and author of the book Emotional Intelligence , argues this type of intelligence is a prerequisite for successful leadership.
Through interdisciplinary activities used in outdoor education, such as orienteering or camp cooking, young people can develop and apply their knowledge, understanding, enterprise and organisational skills, creativity, teamwork, and other leadership-based competencies. Through outdoor education experiences, students have the opportunity to explore skills which inspire confidence in different aspects of their lives and help in shaping self-assured, confident young adults.
Often, we see young people on program experience for the first time real consequences of their decisions and the chance to learn from their choices. If they load their packs quickly and poorly, the packs are uncomfortable and will hinder their progress. If they take time to pace themselves and enjoy the moment, despite the challenges, time flies by, and they have a more rewarding experience.
If they work together to cook a satisfying meal, they eat well and have the energy for the following day. If they take the time to understand the value of the skills their peers hold, they can successfully pitch a tent and enjoy a well-earned rest. When students master a skill or overcome a challenge, especially one they had perceived as difficult, they believe in themselves more. For example, students on a river journey who have never paddled in a canoe are often unsure if they will ever learn.
However, after the first time, they successfully navigate around a bend; they are often beaming with pride. These experiences facilitate young people's transition into the community and adulthood.
Great leaders embody a mission beyond themselves and refrain from letting their ego get in the way. Their eagerness to learn and commitment to continuous improvement fuels their productivity. The Importance of Developing Leadership Skills for 21st Century Learners Taking on a leadership role is a great opportunity to build real-world skills.
Leadership Skills and Assets Time management, goal-setting, communication, decision-making, advocating for and defending a cause, accountability, and networking are all key assets to a great leader.
Time management: A leader must be willing to take on a variety of responsibilities. Holding a leadership position often requires rapid turnarounds. Knowing when to prioritize certain tasks over others can sometimes be a challenge. However, deadlines help to ensure that oneself and others complete tasks in a timely manner. Pro tip: Plan ahead and leave room for unanticipated interruptions.
Employ a method for managing your time, such as a calendar or checklist. Goal-Setting: Leaders set goals to guide their progress. They see problems as opportunities to solve and break up their vision into smaller milestones. And they look for creative and innovative ways to achieve their goals. Communication: In an era of technological domination, communication takes many forms: speech, text, photography, video, body language, etc.
No matter the platform, effective communication is key in spreading your message and generating a following. Pro tip: Share your goals with your network. Remain open and receptive to feedback in order to avoid stagnation.
When preparing content, consider your audience. Speak or write using language that your audience will understand. When seeking to change behavior, you will need a little more buy-in than facts and statistics. Decision-making: While leadership and power are not one and the same, leaders often have the power to make decisions that affect a variety of stakeholders. Each day, we make decisions—many of these decisions are inconsequential.
Yet, over time, these decisions come together to contribute to the big-picture vision. Pro tip: Listen to the voices of your stakeholders and consider the impact of your decisions.
Before jumping to any quick decisions, make sure you understand the whole story. So, while each decision may not seem to matter at the moment, make each decision count and be ready to defend it or develop a plan to make amendments. Advocating for or Defending a Cause: Leaders frequently play a role in advocating for a cause or defending a decision.
They have the opportunity to go against the grain and speak up for marginalized voices. Pro tip: Whatever your decision, consider the facts and utilize evidence in making your claims. And do it with conviction! Accountability: Using a system of checks and balances can help maintain the accountability necessary to achieve your goals successfully.
And when something goes wrong, you can provide appropriate feedback and make improvements for your next move. Pro tip: Make sure you establish a system of accountability for yourself and your team. And be consistent. Hold yourself to the same standards as your teammates. Evaluate your progress towards your goals on a regular basis.
Networking: Networking is a skill that will be important throughout your leadership journey. Your network is your team of supporters and advocates. Once you have a team of supporters, your personal progress will become a joint mission.
Social connections are tools that you can use to navigate through difficult situations. They may have advice or be able to offer the best practices they employed while navigating through that challenge. Join the conversation about how to network on Rethink Together.
Pro tip: Research topics that excite you. Find out who the experts are in the field. Who are the people and organizations doing similar work in your area? Call them or send them a message to express your interest in the material and let them know you would like to connect.
She amplifies the voices of Black, Brown, and Indigenous people in her community, especially the voices of those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Josh Stern is a writer and activist from New York City. He uses his voice to advocate for and break down biases about students with disabilities. Check out his blog to learn more about his take on how to best support students with disabilities like himself during the COVID Pandemic.
Grace Nesbitt is a public figure on Instagram who uses her own battle with mental illness to inspire others to love themselves for who they are. Check out her blog post to learn more about her 7-year journey toward embracing herself and building confidence.
Jerome Foster II is a climate activist, the founder of One Million of Us , and a former intern for the late Representative John Lewis —and these are only a few of his accomplishments, all before graduating high school. Leadership Activities for High School Students Here are ideas from Positive Psychology for getting involved as a leader in your school and community: Participate in student government Join or start a club Get involved in sports teams or other after-school activities Find volunteering opportunities Get an internship Complete a passion project Want to do good in the world and inspire people?
Try looking to the XQ Learner Goals as a guide to develop leadership skills: Become a master of fundamental literacies Learn foundational knowledge Be an original thinker in an uncertain world Be a generous collaborator Commit to being a learner for life Strategies and Activities for Becoming a Student Leader Start by defining your purpose.
Here are a few steps you can take to help define your purpose: Explore what motivates you and what you would like to do or change. While you develop your vision, look into areas of need. Find out where you feel most connected and explore your role in meeting those needs. Define your aspirations and devise an agenda to get started. Develop Your Leadership Skills Through Activities and Practice Build Your Team Imagine how much you can achieve when you have the collective capacity of a group of individuals who share your vision.
Embrace Challenges When you are first getting involved in a new project, it can be easy to let the fear of rejection or failure get you down.
Put up posters, post on social media, give a speech in front of a group. The Maryborough State High School 'Student leadership Development Program' provides aspiring Student Leaders with a supportive learning environment that develops leadership skills through character based learning opportunities.
Students are challenged on all levels and are required to work cooperatively to achieve set goals, respect themselves and others, inspire and motivate their peers and promote a culture of school pride and belonging.
Students are offered various opportunities to participate in a position of leadership within the school, from Year 7 through to Year The program is designed to integrate student leaders from all years thus enabling all students to develop the necessary skills of leadership to enact and inspire change.
Student leaders from each year level participate in a minimum of one 'Leadership' lesson per term. There are seven core focus areas that have been developed based upon common practices of exemplary leaders as identified by J. Kauzes and B. Posner Retrieved January 10, Effective groups have a "shared goal".
Group work involves all members, working together, towards a common goal. By adopting the objectives of the leader and melding them with the individual strengths of the group members. Effective team members also feel a strong sense of empathy, allowing them to better understand the individuals in their group.
This factor works to bring the team together to achieve the common objective. Self-awareness is having a clear perception of your personality, including strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation and emotions.
Self-awareness allows you to understand other people, how they perceive you, your attitude and your responses to them in the moment. The saying 'stay true to yourself' is important advice, it's not easy to stay true to yourself if you don't know who you are. By becoming self-aware and understanding your strengths and limitations, you open up opportunities that would not be available if you do not know yourself.
In order for students to be role models and effective leaders, it is important for them to define what is important to them as individuals and as a member of Maryborough State High School.
This focus area provides students with an opportunity to identify what are values and examine the various values they feel are important individually and as a member of Maryborough State High School.
Inspiring a shared vision can be difficult for any leader, especially a teenager. Teens are still developing the ability to set long term goals, envision what the end result might look like and communicate that vision to empower others.
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