My name is Dave Howard. I've been a teacher in this system for 30+ years now. I've been a Yearbook advisor, Class advisor, Title XI Coordinator, Peer Mediation Coordinator, Softball and Volleyball Assistant and Head Coach.
I have three passions in my life. The first is my wonderful wife and family. My second is fly fishing. My third is teaching. More specifically, watching kids grow into positive, responsible young adults. I've never been more excited to teach a course than our Teen Leadership class.
Teen Leadership is a new course offered to Freshmen and Juniors this year. It will also be offered to Freshmen and Juniors in the 07-08 school year and by the end of 2008 all students at Kaynor will be trained. Thereafter, all incoming Freshmen will receive the Teen Leadership training.
Teen Leadership is a course designed to "capture kid's hearts". This course brings out the best in each student by building trust in each class through team building exercises, developing a "social contract", and through the use of a variety of games and exercises. These are all designed to develop individual growth, self confidence, and self image.
Because a grade is given each six weeks, student
averages are based on their attendance, attidude, active participation in cooperative learning activities, speeches.interviews, journal writings, tests, and special assignments."
Wishing us both a productive year.
Dave Howard
203 596 4302 X345
Students will have up to a dozen speeches due throughout the year. They will continue to send letters of appreciation to teachers, family, and others. Lastly, each student is expected to do some type of community service in each of our three marking periods.
Journal Questions
Lesson 1: Getting Acquainted
1. What are the leadership qualities you believe you already possess?
2. How do you plan on further developing these abilities?
3. What are some leadership qualities that you may be lacking?
Lesson 2: Attitude
4. What does not putting people down have to do with being a leader?
5. How do you feel about speaki in front of a group?
6. Why is adhering to our Social Contract important in our Teen Leadership class?
7. How did participating in the Trust Walk make you feel?
Lesson 3: Introductory Speeches
8. What does your attitude have to do with being a leader?
9. Whose speech surprised you or affected you in some way? Tell how you felt about it.
Lesson 4: Developing Relationships
10. How is the ability to develop good relationships critical to good leadership?
11. Describe a time when you feel you made a bad first impression? Were you able to correct it later? How?
12. Think about someone with whom you would like to develop a relationship. Why would you like to have this relationship? OR think about someone with whom you have a special relationship. Why is it special? What does it mean to you?
13. How do you feel that the things you’re learning in Teen Leadership will help you in your life?
Lesson 5: Goals for the Course
14. How is note writing important in building relationships? Why?
15. Think of someone you know who has set goals for his/her life. How do you know that this person has goals? What effect do these goals seem to have on this person’s life?
16. Describe the Hamburger Bun method of developing a speech.
Lesson 6: Speeche
17. What does “personal mastery” mean to you?
18. Tell one of your top goals for this course and why you would like to achieve it.
Time for an update.
Happy New Year to you all!
As of this writing we have covered another round of speeches. Hopefully our parents and guardians helped in the development of these speeches. Students were assigned to write a 30 second commercial that identifies 3 positive characteristics about themselves. This speech was assigned 12/1/06 so that students had the shop cycle to prepare their speech. They could do their speech with a partner as long as they both presented their characteristics. Creativity was, as always, encouraged.
During the last rotation our students focused in on setting personal goals for this course, and reframing negative statements into positive ones.
Students are watching the movie, "Take the Lead". The movie is based on a real story and is a great example of a lot of lessons we cover in this course. I encourage all parents and guardians to ask questions and have a family discussion led by your child about the movie and how it relates to the Teen Leadership class. They have a list of questions that follow the movie, therefore they already have a guide to lead the discussion.
We have been playing a variety of team building games in class so ask your kids about them and how they relate to their leadership classes.
On January 17th and 18th Juniors will be presenting their 3rd formal speech. This one asks them to talk about "A Memorable Experience". Students were given a hand-out that guides them through the speech writing process. Please ask your kids to see the speech hand-out as well as the scoring rubric. The rubric can be found on the reverse side.
I must emphasize that their speeches MUST HAVE an introduction, body ,and conclusion and this speech must be no less than 3 minutes to get credit. On Wed. the 16th they are to presnt their conclusions to the class for practice and review. In the past their conclusions have been weak to none.
Every marking period requires evidence that each student has done community service. They have been given the sign-off sheet that a supervisor signs varifying the activity and the number of hours. We try to procide activities here in the building that will give them partial credit to their goal. Please ask to see that and encourage them to complete this assignment.
I can tell all of our parents and guardians that I have seen growth in all of your kids, some in a minor ways others in a big way. Those who have shown the most growth are those who seem to participate in all the activities. Others are more silent but I've seen growth in their self confidence and participation.
Please encourage your kids to be active and contribute. After all, this course is all about them.
Please feel free to call or email me if you have any questions. I am at extension 345. I do not have a mail box so please leave your messages with the front desk.
Thanks
Well, at this point all Juniors and Freshmen have presented their speeches on "A memorable experience". I found it amazing that many of them read the assignment as their MOST memorable moment. In addition, many of them presented moments that were more negative than positive experiences. Next year I'll be certain to discuss this with them. I'll encourage them to focus on the positives in their lives as well.
I think the reasons for this is two fold. The first, is because they feel safe and secure in our room. Second, I believe they trust their classmates with their most sensitve experiences. Both are an indication of growth, trust and caring.
At the same time we have been discussing Lessons 7 and 8 in detail. These are about developing a self-concept. That is, "the way you see yourself". A self-concept developes by social experiences, social comparisons, and reflective appraisals. Self-concept is what we come to think about ourselves over time as a result of our experiences with others.
Self-concept is what we think about ourselves not how we feel about ourselves.
JOURNAL QUESTIONS:
19. Take a few minutes and write down in your journals some of the positive and/or negative things that have been said to or about you.
20. Write down how you have been compared to others at times.
21. Write down some of the positive and/or negative things you think others are thinking about you.
22. Describe a time when you said or did something that may have affected someone's self-concept.(This could be a negative or a positive experience.)
23. To sum up this lesson I put this statement on the flip chart and asked them to explain what it means, and how it applies to them in this course?
"Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression."
January 08
My Juniors have started their apartment projects. This is part of an expanded Teen Leadership course where we present them with topics like banking, insurances, budgets,loans, credit, income tax. When I taught economics to Seniors I put togeter a course that
bundled everything a Senior would need to know how to do when he/she moved into an apartment with a roommate. They are required to have an accordion folder so that each topics with the worksheets are easily to find. Over the next few months the Juniors collect $350/week for coming to class and shop everyday. Excused absences are paid, unexcused are not. Missed or late assignments are docked pay or not paid.
They must:
Create a budget; maintain a checking account; interview for an apartment with a roommate; sign a lease; consider renters insurance; invest in the stock market; buy a car and insurance; buy furniture; draw a to scal model of their apartment; provide a weekly menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner, on a weekly basis among a variety of other experiences. For those who waste time there always seems to be things that "pop-up" unexpectedly that create some hardship. If you've ever seen the Cosby Show where Theo decided to move out of the house then you get the drift of this course. It's challenging and fun but most importantly, these kids are prepared to move out on their own.
Cards and letters of thanks are welcome. (Just kidding)
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