Happy Fall Back! I hope you're enjoying the sun and having a wonderful week. We had a very busy week at The Leadership Academy, working on a wide range of POWER Skills. I'm so excited to share with you. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out!
I'm so proud of the way the students showed up this week, ready to get to work!
HS Prep Eugene (8th grade)
It was fun seeing the students in person on Sunday after a month of zoom goal setting, and I love how hard they are working -- making an effort to change their thinking from a junior high mindset to a high school mindset. Here are some topics we covered.
Deadlines: Planning ahead for deadlines is a very important skill. We explored proactive steps for studying, even when there isn't a firm deadline date. Essentially, not waiting for a teacher to give a deadline. But instead, proactively studying the materials in advance.
Proactive Steps: We worked hard to identify upcoming deadlines and the steps they can take to complete them to the best of their ability.
Proactive Communication:
Email: We explored best email practices to communicate with teachers: Cc,
clear subject lines, use of greetings (never "hey"), use of bullet points when you
have more than one thought or questions, and signing off with your first & last
name + period number.
Parent Communication: Finally, we looked at their responsibility in
communicating with parents, and how proactive communication can
improve lines of communication and build trust with parents. We discussed the
type of topics that can be covered at family meetings: grades, goals, upcoming
tests.
Home Habit: To try to use the planner in the coming weeks, schedule a Goal Setting Call with Mrs. Lockard, and Host a Family Meeting to improve proactive communication. Additionally, to take responsibility for telling parents what is coming up, grade goals, and future goals/plans.
Eugene LeadHERship (5th grade)
As we continue our Social Unit this week, we focused on non-verbal skills of Posture, Eye Contact, and Smiling. Keeping in mind that others experience us at 7% Words, 38% Tone & 55 % Non-verbal. Here are a few highlights and great conversation starters to have with your LeadHER this week.
Posture: It takes two minutes of a strong posture to change our brain chemistry and confidence.
Eye Contact: Look in the Safe Zone (between the eyes when eye contact becomes uncomfortable. Three zones: Serious (at the eyes), Social (on face), and Judgmental (below the shoulders).
Smile: Using emojis and the messages they send, we explored facial expressions. Keeping in mind the power of an authentic smile (using cheeks and teeth).
Friendship Circles: We explored different types of friendship and the expectations we have from friends: Safe, Fun, and Social. The girls worked together to explore the characteristics of these circles (or on their worksheet "hearts") both in what they look for it this type of friend or they type of friend she wants to be.
Home Habit: To set a goal of a specific time during the day or week to practice, when eye contact, posture, and facial expressions can be uncomfortable. This could include morning, after school when she's tired, or during a class that she finds less exciting. Also to share with you about the friendship circles.
Tuesday Afternoon HS Prep (8th grade)
We had a bit of a different start to class this week with the confusion of whether we had class or not, LOL! But once students arrived and were settled, we got right to business. I'm so proud of this group, as they are the most committed to using the planner, and putting the steps into action. It's fun to watch their growth, and to see the impact planning and not procrastinating have on academic success.
Deadlines: Planning ahead for deadlines is a very important skill. This means exploring proactive steps for studying, even when there isn't a firm deadline date. Essentially, not waiting for a teacher to give a deadline to study the materials in advance.
Proactive Steps: We worked hard to look at upcoming deadlines students have in the coming weeks, and the steps they can take to complete them to the best of their ability.
Proactive Parent Communication: We finally looked at their responsibility in communicating with parents, and how proactive behaviors can improve lines of communication and build trust with parents. We discussed the types of topics that can be covered at family meetings.
Home Habit: To try to use the planner in the coming weeks, schedule a Goal Setting Call with Mrs. Lockard, and Host a Family Meeting to improve proactive communication. Additionally, to take responsibility for telling parents what is coming up, grade goals, and future goals/plans.
Wednesday Morning LeadHERship (6th grade)
I've been so proud of these girls, showing up at 7:15 in the morning READY TO GO! We have yet to have a week without 100% return of our Home Habit! They are such a fun group. After a lot of review, we dug deep into Facial Expressions, Hand Shaking, and Friendship Circles.
Studies that show the connection between posture and confidence also show that two minutes of smiling changes our brain chemistry and helps us to feel more confident.
We used emojis to explore the way people read facial expressions, what is read as our "resting face," and the way an authentic smile uses cheeks and teeth.
Together, we explored the different zones of friendship: Safe, Fun, and Social. Thinking of friendship zones helps us to expand our social horizons and to
Home Habit: This week, the girls are challenged to take their non-verbal skills into Thanksgiving with family, using eye contact, posture, and smiling.
Wednesday After School LeadHERship (6th/7th grade)
I cannot believe we are down to our final OUT and ABOUT series of classes with this group, where we focus on responsibilities and social etiquettes as they find more independence away from parents. To kick this series off, we explored basic dining etiquette to get the girls ready for Thanksgiving! We had a great time learning valuable skills and eating pizza... with a knife and fork. :)
Table Setting: We covered tips and tricks for setting the table.
Using Knife and Fork: We worked on how to correctly hold utensils and always "hide the handles."
Conversations: Setting goals for what they can learn from friends and family at the Thanksgiving table.
Home Habit: To set the table and send me a picture of their work!
LOJ HS Prep (8th grade) | Thursday, November 10th
We continue to explore all things High School behavior, from elevating classroom behaviors to proactive communication with teachers and parents. This week is the last week of the trimester, and we are working mapping work out to finish strong.
Deadlines: We started class by mapping out important dates and deadlines coming up in the next week. We then wrote down important dates through the new year.
Proactive Steps: We identified proactive steps for the deadlines they have, and the effort they need to put into the deadlines to achieve their individual goals.
Proactive Communication: We had a quick review on email etiquette from last week, and then explored the importance of family communication.
Home Habit: To try to use the planner in the coming weeks, schedule a Goal Setting Call with Mrs. Lockard, and Host a Family Meeting to improve proactive communication. Additionally, to take responsibility for telling parents what is coming up, grade goals, and future goals/plans.
Wishing everyone an amazing Thanksgiving! I will see all of our students in 2-3 weeks! Gobble Gobble!
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