Leaders, are they born or are they created?
just the other day my class re-elected the class com and while I led the whole process, I could not help but remind them that 1) the loudest voice is not necessary the right one 2) in a similar fashion, being the majority does not make the majority right either. This is probably the problem with many societies today which have revered and adopted the democractic system. We are led to believe or assume that the majority's voice is the most important. Yet how many are driven by the herd mentality while not forgetting peer pressure etc. How many truly understand the whole situation to make an informed decision? How many are driven by personal interest rather than group interest?
This is why it takes a great leader/hero to be able to stand out and do what
may not be the most popular decision yet is the right one. It may ruffle some feathers but if your intention was based on care and compassion for others as a whole, you may trust that the decision will sink in and resonate. That will be the reason why the leader will be trusted - trusted to take care of the team. At times, a great leader will put the group's interest first but follows up to manage individuals' unique needs.
That is why
it takes moral courage to take the lead. The courage to face the rise and fall, the
courage to say I am sorry and learn, and to forgive others and oneself. A leader is nothing without his/her followers. You can be a great leader but a bunch of ungrateful followers will undermine your leadership. So don't be too hard on yourself either. Be brave to take the fall but don't be afraid to pick yourself up and move on.
Yet, be careful, a leader is not solely about championing some cause for the team. It also a delicate work of managing relationship within the team and with other groups. This diplomatic skill can differentiate one leader from another. In the school context, how a student leader choose to interact with the teachers speak volumes. Has he/she ever consider the standpoint of the teachers? Or is he/she making some indignant demands?
Why this post? I found myself thinking/talkin about the lack of such sparks in school when I had seen and known some students of the past who were excellent leaders. No, I wasn't complaining. I was simply expressing a disappointment in knowing how far the students can go if only we stretch them further, trusting them to take the fall and pick themselves up again, wiser and more confident. There is much potential for development. I trust them.
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With references to group 4 day, we ask ourselves when we form our groups - do we think about those around us who could do with some support, are usually oversighted? Or do we form group that primarily take care of our personal interests? How do we strike a balance?
stepping up
since the return of the blog, there had been a flood of reactions,
some of which made me think alot. Putting aside the school work I had to
clear, I wish for this entry as a reflection piece to mull over.
I think my students from another time will concur that I can be very serious and I am serious about the work I do, in and out of classes. It is not all about smiles and laughs with me.
I used to mentor and had worked closely with student leaders, the community and was heavily involved in service-learning. My expectations of my students are high although I had tamed them recently as I tried to figure out what I can expect from the youth I handled these days. As I touchbased with myself these few days, I queried if the youths I see these days are mature enough to step it up. A few hold promise and potential but are caught up in the immediate trivial fun to stop and consider the big picture and do what is right and not what is fun. This is where the line is cut.
Even with this blog, as I recollect the purpose of setting this up, those moments of thoughts that were penned down in here were not trivialities. Those are something I had chosen to share so that we will begin to look beyond ourselves and become more aware of people and situations around us. There were also more poignant moments I shared with my ex-students esp towards the end of my teaching journey in the last cycle.
I would hardly think that they are some exciting discoveries for whatever is here is meant to be here. But to trivialise them into some kind of 'jokes'.....I am not sure. what does it say about the people who do so?
As I slowly understand the entry level, I am stepping up my game. Yes, to me, school is not all about grades, there are many aspects of it. One of it, at this stage, is the development of a mature young adult who can take on responsbilities, be a leader and to care for those around them. Fun and responsibilites, they are not mutual exclusive. It takes a fine mind, some experiences and even hard knocks to realise it.
I think my students from another time will concur that I can be very serious and I am serious about the work I do, in and out of classes. It is not all about smiles and laughs with me.
I used to mentor and had worked closely with student leaders, the community and was heavily involved in service-learning. My expectations of my students are high although I had tamed them recently as I tried to figure out what I can expect from the youth I handled these days. As I touchbased with myself these few days, I queried if the youths I see these days are mature enough to step it up. A few hold promise and potential but are caught up in the immediate trivial fun to stop and consider the big picture and do what is right and not what is fun. This is where the line is cut.
Even with this blog, as I recollect the purpose of setting this up, those moments of thoughts that were penned down in here were not trivialities. Those are something I had chosen to share so that we will begin to look beyond ourselves and become more aware of people and situations around us. There were also more poignant moments I shared with my ex-students esp towards the end of my teaching journey in the last cycle.
I would hardly think that they are some exciting discoveries for whatever is here is meant to be here. But to trivialise them into some kind of 'jokes'.....I am not sure. what does it say about the people who do so?
As I slowly understand the entry level, I am stepping up my game. Yes, to me, school is not all about grades, there are many aspects of it. One of it, at this stage, is the development of a mature young adult who can take on responsbilities, be a leader and to care for those around them. Fun and responsibilites, they are not mutual exclusive. It takes a fine mind, some experiences and even hard knocks to realise it.
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