PUBLIC SERVICE & LEADERSHIP
Title: Public Service - Principles of Leadership (ASB)
Length of Course: Y1
Instructor: Usher
Subject Area and Discipline: Career & Life Skills
Grade Levels: 9-12
Course Description
Overview:
Public Service & Leadership is a two-semester course combining critical thinking, reading, writing, and analytical skills into servant leadership based project experiences and implementation. Students participate in research and evaluation, project planning and execution, as well as leadership and critical thinking based activities to continue developing these key skills. The goal of this class is to develop servant leadership skills as students work toward improving the high school experience for all stakeholders.
Prerequisites:
Application, Interview, Teacher Recommendation
Corequisites:
2.0 GPA each marking period; improvement after academic probation if necessary
Texts:
Supplemental Reading:
Course Content
Unit 1:
Team-Building – The fundamental belief of our leadership program is that people who feel a sense of belonging and level of comfort perform at a higher level. Students must feel connected and feel a sense of fulfillment before they can turn their energy outward for the benefit of others. Team building is necessary so that others feel a sense of home in the class. To understand that their role on campus via this class is to serve and support their school community, students will read and analyze Habit 6 “Synergize: The “High” Way from our class text.
Unit 2:
Organization – Organization is crucial for the success of our leadership program and it occurs at two levels. First, there are systems that facilitate the functioning of the class and its projects. Second there are skills taught to help students be organized and productive. Students will understand and utilize SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant Timely) Goals, and plan, manage, and execute group projects – including evaluation of the projects. As a result, students must learn to prioritize and manage their time effectively.
Unit 3:
Leadership & Peace Studies – Students are challenged to look at themselves, their values, and what they perceive as effective leadership. Students will learn to be proactive and take responsibility for their actions. Students research a historical nonviolent movement of their choice and acts of public service for a greater cause in order to determine how that helps share their values. Students learn the difference between leadership and management. Students read and analyze Habit 1 “Be Proactive: Principles of Personal Vision” from the class text.
Unit 4:
Communication – The development of communication skills is an integral part of developing leaders. Students read and analyze Habit 5 “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood: Listen to People Sincerely” from our class text. Students develop their interpersonal communication skills, as well as their presentation or public speaking skills. Students also learn to reflect on their own learning to help create clear thoughts about action and direction. Students will also read and analyze “Open to Outcome” by Malcom Gladwell in order to apply it to their daily interactions with others as well as during peer mediation sessions.
Unit 5:
Personal Development – Personal growth is a recurring theme throughout all of the units in this course. In this unit, students will read and analyze Habit 2 “Begin with the End in Mind: Define your Mission and Goals in Life” and Habit 3 “Put First Things First: Prioritize, and the Most Important Things First” from our class text. Students also examine how being out of balance can affect their ability to be effective, and then how they might bring that balance back into their lives. Students also read and analyze Habit 7 “Sharpen the Saw: Renew yourself Regularly.”
Length of Course: Y1
Instructor: Usher
Subject Area and Discipline: Career & Life Skills
Grade Levels: 9-12
Course Description
Overview:
Public Service & Leadership is a two-semester course combining critical thinking, reading, writing, and analytical skills into servant leadership based project experiences and implementation. Students participate in research and evaluation, project planning and execution, as well as leadership and critical thinking based activities to continue developing these key skills. The goal of this class is to develop servant leadership skills as students work toward improving the high school experience for all stakeholders.
Prerequisites:
Application, Interview, Teacher Recommendation
Corequisites:
2.0 GPA each marking period; improvement after academic probation if necessary
Texts:
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey
- Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
Supplemental Reading:
- Open to Outcome: A Practical Guide for Facilitating & Teaching Experiential Reflection by Micah Jacobson, Mari Ruddy
- Rookie Smarts: Why Learning Beats Knowing In the Game of Work by Liz Wiseman
- Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
Course Content
Unit 1:
Team-Building – The fundamental belief of our leadership program is that people who feel a sense of belonging and level of comfort perform at a higher level. Students must feel connected and feel a sense of fulfillment before they can turn their energy outward for the benefit of others. Team building is necessary so that others feel a sense of home in the class. To understand that their role on campus via this class is to serve and support their school community, students will read and analyze Habit 6 “Synergize: The “High” Way from our class text.
- Sample Lesson: A License to Believe
- The Greater Purpose: Students are provided the opportunity to reflect on their philosophies and what is important to them to better contribute to the success of the group
- Goal: Students get to know each other as well as contribute to the creation of the classroom environment.
- Purpose: Students develop respectful, real relationships to work together effectively, which results in a greater buy-in to the leadership program’s overall goals.
- Application: Students use a quote that expresses a philosophy that they have, share it, and create a personalized license plate that expresses that same philosophy. Students must demonstrate their philosophy in their daily lives, and are consequently challenged to demonstrate their philosophies three times in the next week.
- Building Variations
- Compass Points
- Let’s Start at the Very Beginning
- What Really Matters
Unit 2:
Organization – Organization is crucial for the success of our leadership program and it occurs at two levels. First, there are systems that facilitate the functioning of the class and its projects. Second there are skills taught to help students be organized and productive. Students will understand and utilize SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant Timely) Goals, and plan, manage, and execute group projects – including evaluation of the projects. As a result, students must learn to prioritize and manage their time effectively.
- Sample Lesson: The Check Model for Event Planning (3 Days)
- The Greater Purpose: To accomplish goals and gain a sense of ownership within the class, and learn lifelong skills.
- Goal: Students learn to use the Check Model for Event Planning.
- Purpose: Students learn how to organize and execute projects.
- Application: The Check Model contains ten (10) checkpoints:
- Brainstorm ideas
- Event overview
- Team leader check-in with advisor
- Task checklist
- Team leader check-in with advisor
- Team leader distributes checklist
- Complete pre-event tasks
- Host a WOW event
- Complete post-event tasks
- Evaluation
- Lesson 1: Check Model Introduction, Expectations, Brainstorming
- Lesson 2: Event Development
- Lesson 3: Team Roles and Role Play Scenarios
- This model teaches time management, responsibility, and accountability using resources, teamwork, self-advocacy, and budgeting.
Unit 3:
Leadership & Peace Studies – Students are challenged to look at themselves, their values, and what they perceive as effective leadership. Students will learn to be proactive and take responsibility for their actions. Students research a historical nonviolent movement of their choice and acts of public service for a greater cause in order to determine how that helps share their values. Students learn the difference between leadership and management. Students read and analyze Habit 1 “Be Proactive: Principles of Personal Vision” from the class text.
- Sample Lesson: Have a Vision, Manage a Project
- The Greater Purpose: Students learn the difference between leadership and management as well as the roles within project planning and implementation.
- Goal: Students will be able to recognize leadership and management as roles within the project planning and implementation.
- Purpose: To become effective contributors within a group. Students focus on the differences between leadership and management. Students participate in a scavenger hunt in teams and understand their own strengths and weaknesses within the different roles they are required to take as members of the different teams. Students begin to understand their individual skills as part of the entire leadership team as a whole.
- Application: Leadership and management are more effective and efficient in class projects.
Unit 4:
Communication – The development of communication skills is an integral part of developing leaders. Students read and analyze Habit 5 “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood: Listen to People Sincerely” from our class text. Students develop their interpersonal communication skills, as well as their presentation or public speaking skills. Students also learn to reflect on their own learning to help create clear thoughts about action and direction. Students will also read and analyze “Open to Outcome” by Malcom Gladwell in order to apply it to their daily interactions with others as well as during peer mediation sessions.
- Sample Lesson: You Get What You Asked For
- The Greater Purpose: Students focus on asking the right questions as a skill needed throughout all of their responsibilities as leaders.
- Goal: Students will understand the difference between closed and open ended questions as well as be able to use both effectively.
- Purpose: Students learn to ask questions effectively, both one-on-one and in group settings.
- Application: Students will be trained as peer mediators to help solve conflict between other students.
Unit 5:
Personal Development – Personal growth is a recurring theme throughout all of the units in this course. In this unit, students will read and analyze Habit 2 “Begin with the End in Mind: Define your Mission and Goals in Life” and Habit 3 “Put First Things First: Prioritize, and the Most Important Things First” from our class text. Students also examine how being out of balance can affect their ability to be effective, and then how they might bring that balance back into their lives. Students also read and analyze Habit 7 “Sharpen the Saw: Renew yourself Regularly.”
- Sample Lesson: Learning How to Reflect (5 Days)
- The Greater Purpose: Leaders must reflect upon their actions and daily participation in order to achieve growth as a person and a leader.
- Goal: Students develop the ability to reflect upon their actions and attitudes.
- Purpose: To increase students’ reflective skills through a series of activities.
- Application: Students will keep a journal to reflect on daily class actions and real interactions with others. They will also learn how to reflect on their own behavior and actions. These skills can be used with others outside the class.