Leadership
Hallie Jensen
Being a leader means having an ability to guide others in a positive way to reach some sort of goal. Goals can be small, like getting an A on the next math quiz, or big, like trying to live a more positive life. Each leader is different, and has their own way of leading.
My leadership style has changed form the beginning of this class. At the beginning, I felt I led more by example. However, at the end of this class I feel that I have gained skills and the confidence to lead vocally as well. Whether it was a project in class or presenting to the School Board, I felt more comfortable being a vocal leader. Another example of my change is being more involved in my school. I'm now one of the leaders in Midget Maniacs and in charge of the ELC twitter account. I believe that every day we wake up with a choice: a choice to go be a good, caring, hard working person who will achieve something. I feel like I have shown that I made the choice to be hardworking and to be a leader through my accomplishments this year.
Accomplishments
Through my Junior year of High School so far, I have had several accomplishments that I am very proud of.
- Relationship to the kids- Mentoring with the kids is a big accomplishment to me. The bond that I have made with some of the kids at Elementary in such a short time amazes me.
- Student of the Month- After getting nominated for the Caring Award for this month, it showed me that my teachers and administration are seeing my character. "Character is the glue that bonds solid and meaningful relationships" (The Mentor Leader)
- National Honor Society- This is my biggest accomplishment this year. Getting elected in the Nation Honor Society this year has shown me that I am a leader in the community as well as school. I was humbled to know that other people in the community are noticing my character.
Unexpected Situations
Throughout the semester, we have had many unplanned projects we were not expecting. At one time, half class was working on a project for the second graders, the other half helping the Marketing class, and a group of a few students planning another project. Not only was that very stressful, the whole class had to work together to find a way to make it all work out. "If we do the little things right, the big things will take care of themselves." ("The Sacred Acre", pg 18) Somehow and someway, we managed to design a plan as a class for all threes projects at the same time. Another unexpected situation was presenting to the School Board. The five of us girls who did it were all really nervous, but I think we did a good job showing our projects and progress in this class.
Mentoring
Mentoring was my favorite part of this class. There is no better feeling then walking into a room and having twenty smiling faces look at you. The kid I most connected with was Blake Arends. Blake is a first grader in Mrs. Gjerde's room. Since I did the Holiday project with him, I spent the most time with him. He showed me how important mentoring was. Everyday I would be greeted with a big hug, and you could see how excited he was. Whether it was giving the boys knuckle touches or showing me his dance moves, you could see how much he loved being with all of us. Even now, every time I see him either at games or at church, I'm always greeted with a big smile and an even bigger hug.
My Biggest Mentor
My biggest mentor in my life is my mom. Growing up she taught me to be a leader and how to stand up for myself. She showed me what it's like to be caring and to be hard working. She also taught me to always do the right thing, no matter easy it is to do wrong. I believe that the skills she has taught me have made me the person and leader I am today, and my life would be completely different without her. She is my role model and my best friend.
Application
I will take the leadership skills I have though every aspect of my future. I believe that leadership skills are important at school, at your job, at home, in the community, everywhere. I think the class has proven to me that I am a better leader than I thought I was at the beginning of the class. Although the class hasn't made me choose exactly what I want to do in life, it definitely showed me that I do not want to be an elementary teacher.