Blog 15...The Final Post due Wednesday May 16th @ 11:59pm

Bristol Harbor, RI, (photo credits Bent)

This is it!  Your final week of school as a high school senior.  You can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and you have so much  to look forward to in the future.  Whether you are entering the workforce, the armed services, or going to college, you future is what you make of it from here on out.  Promise yourself that you will make good choices, and when you slip, get back up and correct the wrongs.  

You have your presentations, and your final reflection due by the end of Finals Week.  If there is anything else still due, see me please.

What I want you to do for this blog is choose a strength you have developed in this class and tell me about it.  Short and sweet, but it should be about a paragraph long.  

Sail off into the sunset. Enjoy the few remaining days as a senior.  Relax over the summer, and then jump right back into your own education and or work.  You have all the skills, but the question is, will you use them?

Sunset on the Caribbean Sea, Grenada, British West Indies (photo credit Bent)

Blog 14-Shifting Gears - due Friday May 11th @ 11:59 pm

Cairn at Second Connecticut. Lake, Pittsburg NH (photo credit Bent)

This week is the last full week of class for you.  At this point your projects are beginning to wind down, and you are switching gears to the presentation.  Take a look at what is required for your presentation (Google Classroom), and share with all of  us your thoughts:

-What you are doing for a presentation.....
-How far along you are with your presentation....
-What will be the central focus of your presentation....
-The way or ways you will connect what you did to leadership....

Blog 13-T-minus 14 and counting....Where are you at? Due Friday May 4th by 11:59 pm

Beaver Brook Falls, Colebrook, NH (photo credit Bent)

This class is quickly coming to an end.  Your journey after April break may now feel a little like this waterfall, cascasing fast and out of control.....you tell me.  This week the blog is quite simple:

Where are you in your project?

What do you owe me that you still have not turned in, and why are you dragging your feet?

What are you most proud of so far in your project?

Blog 12 - Leadership and Fear-Due Friday April 27th by 11:59 pm

Welcome back.  By now you can see the end in sight....you have approximatley 18 school days left (that is about three weeks without weekends).  Although the end is a good thing, it can also be a little bit scary because your your high school life gives way to a more adult-by yourself-type of living regardless of whether you go to college or join the workforce.  You are your own leader starting NOW!!!!!

Leaders are not necessarily fearless, but they have learned how to deal with their fears.  It takes courage to live his/her convictions, persevere, take risks, tell the truth, apologize, and to admit mistakes.  Courage is about pushing through one's fears to live a most authentic life and do what one believes is right (Myers, 209).

Bristol, RI harbor at sunset (photo credit Bent)

Now that you are beginning your work in the field, I am sure there is some "fear" about your success or failure, and that is normal.  All good leaders, as the Myer's quote states, "learn to deal with their fears" (2011).

Please answer the following questions as they pertain to leadership and fear.  Make sure that the answers are substantial, and are not just "one sentence wonders".

1. Having to move on to unfamiliar territory and/or new adventures is what allows leaders to stretch and grow.  So, does your new project feel fresh, challenging, and engaging?  Explain

2. Sometimes the greatest act of courage is to follow one's heart and do the right thing, even if it is not popular or does not seem politically correct.  What is your "North Star", that thing that most drives you when you have to make a hard decision?  What was the decision, and how did it turn out?

3. Are you willing to risk being wrong?  Sometimes leadership take having the courage to make hard decisions based on the best information you have, knowing that you could be wrong.  Do you have an example of this? (Share)

4.  Do you give yourself credit for those tough decisions that nobody else sees? Explain.

5. Do you give yourself permission t omake hard decisions without necessarily having it all figured out?  Are you willing to step into ambiguity whe the occassion calls for it?  (Once you summon the courage to take this step, it often opens up wonderful new possibilities that otherwise might have remained closed or hidden.  Share your answer, thoughts, and examples.

Blog 11-Respectful Leadership - due April 13th by 11:59pm

The calm before the storm...(photo credit Bent)

So this is the last full week in the classroom.  If you do not have a place to be first period, you will be expected to arrive to school for first period after vacation, and work in my room.  You can be doing any of the following here:
-prepping for work on your project
-working on blogs
-responding to emails
-making further connections for your project
-planning



For this blog I want you to think about RESPECT.  To be a respectful leader you need to keep your eyes open to people around you and making sure that they feel truly heard.  It means approaching everyone you meet from a perspective that says people matter.  Take the time to really talk with people and become conscious of what is going on in their lives...this is more than just being nice, it also gets results (meaning people who are respected or feel respected are often more receptive to work for you, or with you).

Please read, consider, and react to the following questions:

Are you willing to listen to others and let others have their voice, even when it might be inconvenient, difficult, or painful to do so?

When you find yourself in disagreement with someone, do you focus on making your own views heard, or doyou stay open to the other person's point of view?

In situations of conflict, do you try to win agreement, or do you seek first to establish trust?

Do you sometimes feel unheard?

Do you take care to keep your relationships alive?

**Please take note: these are not meant to be one word answers, instead I want you to reflect, explain, and share.**

Blog 10-Procrastination due April 6th by 11:59 pm

The road to procrastination (Photo Credit Bent)

There are two weeks to April break...if you remember way way way back I gave you a cute little piece of paper with deadlines on it...do you still have it?  Here is a piece of it that might interest you.

Independent Work the weeks of January 26^th through May 18^th

(50% project proposal, research paper/ 30% assignments, weekly annotated bib)

·         One journal article read and added to a working annotated bibliography to be shared with Dr. Bent on Google Classroom.  To be clear, this means that the student (you) will read add to his/her (your) annotated bibliography each week.  (This annotated bibliography will be completed by week # 10, aka March 30^th  and represent no less than 10 journal articles )

·         Outside reading: find a book to read that is connected to his/her (your) topic.  It cannot be a textbook.  It must be a piece of nonfiction. Completed and a review written by April 6^th

·         Research Paper: focused on some aspect of your work in the community. Completed and turned in by April 12^th

Notice the pieces in red?

NEW DEADLINES.
The book review is now due on April 12th and the paper April 23rd.  This gives you an extra week for each one. USE THIS GIFT WISELY. and turn the work into Google classroom. At this point, there are no more excuses, no more snow days, and for those of you who are routinely late...pick up the pace and finish strong (all of you).


Now on to the blog this week.  I would like you to watch  Tim Urban's TED Talk "Inside the Mind of a Procrastinator"

https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_urban_inside_the_mind_of_a_master_procrastinator#t-812

1.Once done, write a short reflection on if you see yourself in this talk.

2. He makes an interesting point at the end what is it?

3. How did the boxes strike you?

4. Why would I think it is important for you to watch a rather funny video on procrastination?

Blog Post 9- Reflection on Authenticity due Friday March 30th by 11:59pm

Have you ever stopped and listen to the roll of the pebbles on the beach as they wash in and out with the ebb and flow of the tide?  Have you ever considered just you, meaning taken time to just stop and think about you? Not the "you" people see, or the "you" - you try to be for others?

Rye, NH (Photo Credit Bent)

This week I want you to find "the real you" through authenticity. What does that mean? Roughly it means finding YOU within yourself and being comfortable in your skin.  Leaders need to be comfortable with themselves before they can help others.

According to autor Betsy Myers of Take the Lead , "when you step into who you truly are, you access a source of inexhaustible power.  People see you as real, and that causes them to feel a level of trust and confidence that no amount of spin. or PR can possibly manufacture" (37). 











Consider the following question, and please be honest with your answers.  Make sure you answer beyond the yes or no of the answer. (EXPLAIN)

1. Do you feel passionate about your project? (How you answer this  might give you some clues about who you are and where you might want to focus yourself in the future....)

2.Do you put energy  into trying to live up to others' expectations?  AND Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

3. Do you feel you bring your authentic self to your relationships (bosses, parents, friends, co-workers, teachers)?

4. Do you regularly  give youreself time and space to listen to your own instinctive sense? (Part of learning to trust your  internal compass is to allow yourself the room to step back and hear what your instincts are telling you.)

5. Why do you think I asked you to respond to these types of questions?

6. How do they connect to leadership class?

Week Eight: Setback Adjustments and Forward Movement due Friday March 23rd @ 11:59

The last two weeks have been a little disrupted due to the storms, but like in real life, we all have to adjust and move forward.  Be reflective and honest about your answers.

Relfections on Second Connecticut Lake, Pittsburg, NH (photo credit Bent)

1. Where are you in the final propoasal process?  In reality you need to have had it turned in to me last week.  Once I grade it and return it, you need to send it along for signatures.

2. How is the book coming along? You should be more than halfway through it by now, and have taken notes on parts that will be useful in your paper.

3. The annontated bibliography is due soon...get going if you have not started on that, or are only halfway done.  Where are you in this process?

4. How have you been using your time recently?  I know with the two snow storms, I have been a little behind myself....where are you are you at?

5. Last-what have you learned about yourself so far in the class?  Too much freedom, not enough????

Week Seven: "Lollipop Moments"....And the count down begins responses are due Friday March 16 @ 11:59pm

Head Waters - The Connecticut River, Pittsburg, NH (photo credit Bent)

Part One:
Please respond to the following:
There are 14 more school days in the third quarter....how are things working out for you?  Do you feel a little rushed, like the river pictured above, or are you in a good spot? Explain


Part Two:

Please watch the TED Talk in the link below and respond to the questions below.

https://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership#t-357842


Part Three:
Please respond to the following questions, as they pertain to the TED talk.

What does Drew Dudley say about people and leadership in this video?

I am pretty sure that we have all had one of these lollipop moments, share one here please.

Why do you think I wanted you to watch this talk?

Week Six-Body Language-TED Talk reaction due March 9 @ 11:59pm

Strike a pose-East Inlet, Pittsburg, NH (photo credit Bent)

Highlight and click on the link below.  It is a 20 minute TED talk by Amy Cuddy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc

Please listen to and take notes, (trust me it will help you frame your answer better and I need to see evidence that you were actually listening to the talk and not trying to do 40 other things at once), and answer the following questions:

1. How does this TED talk relate to me, (meaning you), in this class? (be specific...think about your project)



2. How does this TED talk relate to me, (meaning you), moving forward after graduation from high school?


3. Spend some time observing others....maybe at a mall, or in the cafe here at school, or at your place of employment.  What do you see for body language in others....can you conclude anything from your observations? Explain


4. Why do think I wanted you to watch the video, and why do you think I thought it was important to break down your responses in three different ways?

Week Five: Charting a Course-due March 2, 2018 @ 11:59pm

Rye, NH (photo credit Bent)

Welcome back from vacation.  I hope you are all rested and ready for the next seven (7) weeks before the next vacation.  I know that the end looks as tough as navigating these steps, but with proper planning you will make it to end relatively stress free. 

What I want you to remember is that you have chosen what you want to do with this class, so be PROUD of what your plan is, and follow through with all the details.  This is your time to shine as an independent, strong, young adult.  Do not disappoint yourself, "stay the course" and finish strong with something to share and celebrate in May. 

This week I want you to work on creating the perfect project proposal using the form that is posted on Google Classroom.  This is the one that you will be providing to your community partner.  They sign three copies: one for them, one for you, and one for me.  The final proposal will not be given to them until you have submitted it to me for a grade and possible corrections....this means that you are looking at giving it to your community member(s) as early as the week of March 5th, but no later than March 16th.

You should also be about a third the way through your research book, and you should have about half of your annotated bibliography done. 

The month of March is for refining the proposal and writing the research paper. 

So, my requests for this week are short and sweet:

1. In great detail tell me where you are, and how you are going to divivde the work for March.  Do not be vague, and do not just post a calendar.  I want details. 

2. Then find me a picture that represents you working through the process....it can be a real picture or a cartoon, or even an origianl drawing.  Attach it to your post.

Week Four: Planning.... due Friday February 16th by 11:59pm

Cairnes, Queensland, Australia (photo-Bent)

Week Four is here, and that means when we come back from February vacation, you will only have another seven (7) weeks of "seat" time in class.  YIKES!  You are beginning to think more deeply and looking forward towards the horizon, or at least I hope you are.

Reflect on, and share some feedback from your meetings or emails with the person/community you are planning to work with or in.

What did it feel like to "pitch your idea"?  Was it easy, or did you find that you really need more information before you move forward with your plans?

What are your feelings about where you are project-wise, research-wise, reading (that book I keep talking about), and workload in this class?

How is all the independence working for you? Do you find yourself using it wisely, or do you find yourself wasting time?  Are you using your leadership skills on yourself? Be honest, and then re-evaluate what you do....

Share what your actual research paper is going to be about:

Share what your actual project is going to be:

Where do these two things overlap?

Second to the last thing: By now you have looked at your published grades.  Some of you have not taken advantage of the resubmission for both the planning sheet and the resume, so your grade is reflective of your choice.  For those of you who have not done even step one for either of these submissions, your grade is also reflective of your choice.  This is my last....the final....invitation to take part in creating a positive experience in this class, so please submit or resubmit your work by the end of the week for grading.  For all of you reflect on what it means to be given a second chance in life (here I am talking grades).  Share with me what you think...

Last thing: Make a plan for yourself for the month of March....print a blank calendar if that helps, but plan your time in this class wisely....it goes by fast.  Show me the plan...take a picture of the calendar and paste it here, or take a picture of your notes and put it here...but show me evidence that you are thinking ahead, and looking at the horizon.

You do not want to be caught...out of breath and in a knot, just hanging around waiting for the work to be done... (Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia. (photo Bent)

Week Three: Perspective,Time, and Challenges - due Friday February 9th by 11:59pm

Looking at the world through different perspectives, Narragansett, RI ( photo credit Bent)

Perspective:

Have you thought about how you look at things, or approach tasks?  If you notice this beautiful stone structure above has a variety of windows.  They all look out over Scarborough Beach in Narragansett, but each window provides a different view.  What I would like you to do this week is work on different ways to approach your tasks....find a different "view".  For example, when you are researching the topic for your research papers, try a variety of sources.  Do not just stick with one, shop around the data bases, and see what you can find.  Yes, you will have to do a little tedious work, meaning reading so that you can make an informed decision as to whether to add it to your folder in Google.  

My questions for this piece:

How did you go about researching in the data bases?

How much time per day did you spend on these searches?

Which data bases did you use?

How was the frustration level?

Be honest, how much progress did you make on the research this week?  

Time:  

It is one of those things that we either think we have a lot of it, or we think we do not have enough of it.

How do you manage time?

Give me a typical day, and how you designate time before and after school?

Where and how can you improve your time management? Be realistic, and be truthful.
What does time management look like to you? Show me a picture......

Challenges:

My daughter Dana  has a roommate, Emily, who is part of the Bristol Fire Department.  When I asked her, (Emily), how she ended there, she said that she had the same type of opportunity you, (yes you my class), have when she was a senior in high school.  At the time she could not imagine a fire department, but after some consideration, and a willingness to do something so far out of her comfort zone, she joined a junior fire academy in her home town as part of her leadership class.  Fast forward to college, and she liked the experience in high school, so she joined the department in Bristol., and has been a member for the past two years.  My daughter, pictured in Emily's firefighter outfit, was just accepted into the driver/EMT program....she too took a chance, challenged herself, and chose to do something really out of her comfort zone.  By the way, Emily is a biology major, and Dana is an education major...neither one wants a career in fire fighting, but they wanted something new and different for an experience.  My point is, make yourself uncomfortable, and try to do something that challenges you in this class.  

What will you do that is challenging and out of your comfort zone during this class....or what do you think you will do?

What might scare you about this challenge?

What sounds exciting (safe) and do able during this class?

What might hold you back?

Taking a risk, trying something new...getting out of your comfort zone (photo credit Bisanti)

Week Two: Options and Passions: Due Friday February 2 (Ground Hog Day) by 11:59pm

Heading into week two should not look as relaxing as Ollie's pose...(photo credit Bent)

By the end of week two you will need to have a basic idea, with possible appointments set, of what you would like to do for a project and research paper.  This does not mean that you need to have the whole thing hammered out, but you will need to be able to show effective progress.  This will look like:

1. A simple plan born of your original idea-written out (see sheet for this week on google classroom).

• In a sentence or two, put your project plan here, so we can all see it and be excited for you.

2. A book that you will be reading connected in some way to your project.

• Show me a picture of your book, and tell me why you decided to read it

3. An idea for a research paper that connects to the project and the book you are reading.  For example if you are interested in landscaping, you might have a plan to do some landscaping, and you have decided to read a book about a famous landscaper.....your research project could be about how the history of professional landscaping or how flowers and plants improve people's moods

• What is your idea? Tell us, and share a picture that connects to your research

4. How are you feeling week two? AND....

• As you have already discovered, there is time on your own in this class.  How are you going to commit to "time used wisely" here?  Explain

Week One-Exploring and Sharing: Due January 26, 2018 (by the end of class)

Think beyond the confines of a regular classroom (Scarborough Beach, Narragansett, R.I. photo credits Bent)

Welcome to Experiential Leadership.  This is a class where you flex that independent streak you know you have.  Although it might seem a little scary, or you might think this is a piece of cake, it is a class where you prove to yourself you can do whatever you set your mind to!

In this first week of class you will be thinking differently than a traditional English classroom.  I want you to:

1) Introduce yourself to me:
-tell me your reason for wanting to join this class...do not tell me you joined because it sounded easy...
-tell me your interests....(not your life plan)....what you like to do and maybe even what you are passionate about
-tell me about what you want to do after high school...trade school, college, workforce, the armed forces...
-tell me what you have most proud of doing so far in your life
-tell me about your time management or lack of time management
-tell me something I would not normally know about you...especially if I had you as an English student junior year

2) I want you to go to your local library and do the following:
-obtain a library card, if you do not already have one
-renew your library card, if it needs to be renewed
-take a selfie with the librarian and post it to your blog this week....and yes I do mean a selfie with the librarian (not Ms. Costello....the librarian in your town).  If the librarian will not do that with you, take a selfie of you and your library card inside the library and post it to your blog.

3) If you have an idea for this class (what you might like to do...or where you might like to focus), tell me about it.  (If you do not have an idea....what are you thinking about...even if it is wild...one of my students in last year's class came up with this wild idea about Cat Yoga...I laughed, and she did too....but you know what, she did it!)

4) Connections: Choose another form of social media and CONNECT your blog so that others may share in your journey through this class.....screen shot this AND post a picture here.

You must respond to at least TWO (2) other people by 11:59 pm the week the blog is due.  (Our class week runs Monday to Sunday...so if the blog is due on Friday, you must read two other people's blog by Sunday and respond to them).