Leadership Development Series

ROCKLIN HIGH SCHOOL

Leadership Development Series Engineering Support Technologies

Dan Frank 8/21/2012

Leadership is a critical skill at all levels of today’s workforce. It incorporates a broad range of knowledge from one’s self (intrapersonal) to other’s personalities & motivation (interpersonal) to communication to basic employability skills. As students explore leadership they will have a chance to work together to complete tasks in a fun and meaningful way, forging unexpected relationships. Table of Contents

Introduction One of the most challenging things presented to students is how to work together. Throughout their educational career, students have been thrown, dumped and selected into groups and told to work together. Rarely has an instructor taken the time to talk about how groups work; nor have instructors taken the time to debrief after a group activity. Too often, we (instructors) ask students to grade each other on their group participation. But what does that mean, or look like? Why are some students more effective at group work than others? How can students be empowered to stand up to a controlling team member?

These challenges are not unique to education. In fact, they are too pervasive in the real world. When working with industry partners, it is not uncommon to hear them talk about the inability of our younger workforce to work effectively with others. This can often be heard as employers having difficulty training new hires.

Although our students have been asked to work in groups, they don’t understand what that truly entails. Combine this with the fact that industry generally provides early training based on an apprenticeship model, and our youth is at a disadvantage. Many have never experienced the apprenticeship model, and they do not understand how to work effectively as a team towards a common goal.

This extends past technical trades. For students who want to major in business or pursue an MBA, there are several courses focused on leadership, teamwork, and human resources management. Since a significant cost of any business is in its employees, creating the structures, training and culture to allow employees to succeed is critical.

Adding a unit on Leadership Development has also provided me with the unique benefit of positively shaping my class culture. Others who have implemented Leadership training have noted similar responses. Most notably, Geometry in Construction uses team building activities to create a shared experience, trust and generally good working environment. Leadership Development allows students to get to know each other, forge new friendships, and for the instructor to get to know his/her students at a depth that is hard to find in most classroom settings.

In an effort to address this issue, I have implemented the leadership development series for my students. I have broken down the concepts that I have found critical for success and structured them with focused activities to highlight each of these aspects. By no means is this strategy all encompassing, but I believe it provides each student with a solid foundation for lifelong learning.

The most difficult part of teaching this unit is the fact that it is distributed throughout the course. Students often have difficulty linking the pieces together in a cognitive and coherent manner, even though they have effectively demonstrated the pieces. I will try to provide some strategies and methods for linking the pieces together, as well. This year, I am trying a new strategy of using a set of case studies and asking students to reflect on the situations and provide insight into how the situations could be handled.

In my Engineering Support Technologies I course, I have broken leadership into the following categories:

 Interpersonal Skills: Those skills involved in working together

 Intrapersonal Skills: Those skills needed to drive success from within

 Team Work: Those skills necessary to carry out any team member role

 Public Speaking: Those skills necessary for communicating in front of groups

 Gaining Employment: Those skills necessary getting that elusive first job

 Human Relations: Tying it all together

By no means is this the only way to break down the material, but many of these sections are well documented in business management training literature. My only goal is disaggregating the information in this pattern was to help “chunk” the material into manageable bites, and reassemble those bites into a coherent, measurable and meaningful way. These are soft skills, and can be successfully taught in a less organized, “road-kill-of-the-day” method.

The Lessons In an effort to teach about interpersonal skills, utilize the following lessons. Each lesson is referred to by its associated activity. Please note that almost any team building activity could be substituted, and still provide the same experience. The same is true about the order of the lessons. Although I use them in this order, the order itself is not critical.

The following activities are associated with lessons. The lesson materials will also be posted online at the following link:

Interpersonal Skills “Interpersonal skills are the life skills we use every day to communicate and interact with other people, individually and in groups. Interpersonal skills include not only how we communicate with others, but also our confidence and our ability to listen and understand. Problem solving, decision making and personal stress management are also considered interpersonal skills.” (http://www.skillsyouneed.co.uk/interpersonal_skills.html#ixzz1zg9Ob5zn)

Pass the Hoola Hoop Activity: In this activity, the students will stand in a circle. Ask the students to hold hands. As the instructor, you should anchor the circle (and participate). The instructor has one hoola hoop on his/her shoulder. A student opposite the instructor also has a hoola hoop on one of their shoulders. Now, challenge the students to get the hoola hoops around the circle without letting go of their neighbor’s hand.

This activity can be extended if desired. Ask the students to hold hands in a straight line. Now, time them and see fast they can get a hoola hoop down the line. Then, break them into two groups and let the groups race…

Materials: Hoola Hoop (qty:2), stopwatch (qty:1)

Blindfolded Sharkbait Activity: Before you begin this activity, there is a small bit of preparation. Take several sheets of paper and fold them to make course markers (or use cones). Take the paper or cones and setup two to five courses. Remember that the more courses that are available, the faster this activity goes. Also, if each course is different, you could have the groups attempt multiple courses. The course can vary in size, and complexity. In fact, a course that involves sharp turns, loose corners or loop backs can make a course more interesting.

Now that the course is laid out, bring the students out to the course. Have them pair up. I personally like to have their backs against a wall, and to loudly sound off one, two. Then have the first pairs of ones, twos, etc… paired up. With the students in pairs, have them form paired lines at each course. Try to get the same number of pair in each line.

Next, the fun begins. One student wears the blindfold. The non-blindfolded partner has to non-verbally get the blindfolded student through the course. Then they return to the line and swap roles.

After everyone has gone through the course non-verbally, have the groups move to a different course (to the right 1 course). Now, do the blindfold thing again. Have the students go through the course using only words.

Materials: Blindfold (qty=number of students), Paper or Cones (enough to make course markers/path for two to five courses.

Ball Drop Activity: in this activity, have the students form a circle. Explain to the students that we a going to pass the ball from one person to the next (across the circle) to obtain the order that we will use. A key rule is gentle underhand throws only. The person throwing the ball will say their name, and the name of the person they are throwing to. Make sure that the group notes who the caught from, and who they threw to. Now, ask them to see how quickly they can get the ball to everyone in order. It may take many tries… and some thinking outside the box.

Hints/Tips/Trick: Most often students will try to quickly pass the ball in the same pattern. Now, challenge the students to line up in order around the circle. Praise them and tell them how great it was to cut X seconds from their time. Challenge them to get it even quicker. Make sure to allow time for group discussion (or yelling). Ultimately, have them pile in with their hands in order in a straight vertical line. Then drop the ball so that everyone can touch it on the way down…

Materials: Stopwatch (qty=1), tennis ball or soft squishy ball (qty=1) Intrapersonal Skills

“Howard Gardener, in his book ‘Frames of Mind’ defines Intrapersonal Intelligence as sensitivity to our own feelings, our own wants and fears, our own personal histories, awareness of our own strengths and weaknesses, plans and goals.

The following skills are those typically characteristic of individuals with Intrapersonal Intelligence. Such individuals are likely to be skilled at one or more of the following:-

Personal Efficacy - A strong awareness of one’s own strengths, weaknesses and needs in order to plan effectively to achieve personal goals.

Interpersonal Skills - The ability to get on well with other people as well as enjoying one’s own company.

If you have the ability to self-reflect, you are able to recognize and change your won behaviors, build upon your strengths and improve upon your weaknesses, resulting in very rapid development and goal orientated achievements.” (http://www.inspiring- breakthrough.co.uk/learning-styles/intrapersonal-learning.htm)

Meyers-Briggs Purpose: To learn about personality types, oneself and how to work with other personality types.

Activity: Talk with the students about the fact that there are many different personality types. Each personality has a set of strengths and weaknesses. No one type is better or worse, only different. Remember, Intrapersonal Skills are focused on better understanding yourself. Have the students take the personality test (one website is provided here, but there are many others out there). Have the students read about their personality type. While the students are doing the activity, walk to each corner of the classroom, and post a large poster with a different colored marker. Title each poster with one of the personality types. Once all the students have completed the exercise, have them go to the corner with their personality and write one thing about their personality on the poster. Have the students stay standing at the poster. Go around the room and have the students describe the personality type they are standing with to the entire class. Start a class discussion. Note that personality types are not evenly distributed amongst groups. What implications does this have in business? How could this effect hiring practices? How does this affect your leadership development and teamwork?

Website for Free Test: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp

Website explaining Jung/Meyers-Briggs Personality Types: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JungType.htm

Website with free resources related to personality types and intrapersonal development: http://www.personalityexplorer.com/FREEResources.aspx Website - Choose your adventure – How Intra and Interpersonal skills affect your choices: http://www.yourpersonality.net/cgi-bin/choose/getsurvey6.pl

Materials: enough computers for at least half of a class or schedule a computer lab.

Rope Shapes Purpose: Every person is different. Understanding how oneself functions, and how to identify and work with other personality types is critical for group performance.

Activity: Have the students form a circle. Pass one end of the rope around the circle. Make sure that the instructor holds the other end. Tie a durable knot (like a square knot) to splice the two ends together. Now, step out of the circle and have the students wear their blindfolds. (Note: this is where students like to cheat. Walk around and double check everyone). Now make sure that every student keeps two hands on the rope. Call out a geometric shape, such as a triangle, square, rhombus, etc… When the students feel they have completed the shape, have them pull off their blindfolds. Ask them if this was the shape they intended. Take a few minutes to debrief about what went well and what could be improved. Help them strategize about how to do it better next time (use guided questions; do not give them direct answers). Have them wear the blindfolds again. Repeat this process four times total, each time using a different shape.

Materials: Blindfolds for every student, Rope (50’)

Egg/Spoon Run Purpose: TO demonstrate how one’s effort, motivation and results can directly affect team performance and outcomes

Activity: Mark off a course that has the students go 10 yards out and back. Break the students into groups of four. If you are really adventurous, have them hardboil and dye their egg. Otherwise, provide them with a dyed hardboiled egg. Have the students name their egg. To really make it fun, you can tell a story about wanting to get the egg to the other side to hatch. Or, if you are an ag teacher, get the egg to the incubator (you can always switch eggs out later for a viable egg… (note: make sure to have extra eggs if one breaks and is not salvageable)

Provide students with a spoon (wooden or tablesppon). Have the students carry the egg in the spoon. Have them lineup Provide time for them to determine the order (just like a relay race), and develop a race strategy. Allow them to race.

Materials: Table Spoon or Wooden Mixing Spoon (qty=10), Dyed Hardboiled Egg (qty=10)

Trust Fall & Directions Purpose: Allowing oneself to trust and rely on others.

Activity: Have the students pair up, using any pairing method you prefer. For the first part of this activity, have one student turn their back on another, and cross their arms infront. The person behind the student, is to catch the student as they fall backwards. It is critical to emphasize that this is about trust and reliability. Class management is critical here, because everyone needs to trust everyone else. Allow the students time to “trust fall” two or three times, before switching roles.

Debrief about the trust fall.

For the second activity, have the students standing back to back. One student has a drawing of something; the other student has the sketchpad and pencil. The student with the picture is not allowed to name the object, but must describe it. This person may not show the partner the picture either. The person with the sketchpad is to draw (to the best of their ability) whatever is described. (Note: it is critical to emphasize that phallic symbols and otherwise inappropriate pictures are unacceptable, and will result in automatic referral for sexual harassment – the work place does not put up with sexual harassment, and neither should you).

Have the students post the original drawing and their drawing (with both partners names on each on the wall). Have the students switch roles and do it again. With all pictures posted, it is time to debrief.

Materials: Pictures of various objects; Sketchbook and pencil; enough for however many pairs of students are participating.

Teamwork “Team building is an ongoing process that helps a work group evolves into a cohesive unit. The team members not only share expectations for accomplishing group tasks, but trust and support one another and respect one another's individual differences. Your role as a team builder is to lead your team toward cohesiveness and productivity. A team takes on a life of its own and you have to regularly nurture and maintain it, just as you do for individual employees. Your Development & Training Organization Development Consultant can advise and help you.” (http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/pubs/hrguidearticle/chapter-14-team- building/)

Wooden Skis Purpose: effective communication among team members, organizing and working together to meet a common goal.

Activity: Using any method you want, have the students break into groups of four. Supply them with a pair of skis. Provide everyone with 10 minutes of practice on a soft grassy area. While students are practicing, setup a race course. Twists, turns and full reversal of direction increases the challenge. After 10 minutes, have the teams lineup on the start line. Conduct race heats until a winning team can be identified.

Materials: A pair of wooden skis for every group of four students, starting line, finish line Living Marble Maze Purpose: To work together to complete a common goal.

Activity: Each student needs a 1’ PVC half pipe. Tell the students that the need to get a marble from one end of the classroom to the other, without the marble touching the ground. The marble may only touch the PVC.

Once they have completed that, have them get the marble around the room.

As a final challenge, I have the students start at my back door, and go outside around the building and back in my front door.

This exercise can be timed as an extension, if you choose.

Materials: ¾ inch PVC pipe cut into 1’ lengths, and split in half length ways. 1 marble.

Two Truths and a Lie Purpose: Trusting team members, participating in a group

Activity: This simple exercise asks students to share two truths and a lie. So, have the students form a circle. Ask for one student to step into the center. If there are no volunteers, do it yourself. Now, the person in the center needs to tell three things about themselves (that they are comfortable sharing). Two of the shared items need to be a truth. One of the shared facts should be a lie. Make sure to tell the students that the truths and lies should be mixed. Now, the student/teacher in the middle should have a bean bag and pass it to the person who will identify the lie. If they are correct, then they go to the center. If they get it wrong, then they pass the beanbag to another student in the circle.

Materials: bean bag (or jasmine/lavender rice bag).

Life’s Minefield Purpose: Working together as a team to meet an objective or goal.

Activity: If you have ever played Stratego, you will know how to play this game. The players may not talk. The goal is to get your entire team across the tarp. The team members may only stand in one grid at a time on the tarp. As the team member steps onto a grid cell or to another grid cell, the monitor will either be quite or say “bang”. If you hear bang, it means you stepped on a landmine, and must return to the end of the line. The next member begins to move across the tarp, either remembering the safe squares or exploring new ones. This repeats until everyone has safely made it across the tarp.

Materials: Tarps (approx. 7: enough tarps so group size is no larger than 7 members), duct tape to mark grid on tarps, 1 tarp monitor (TA in charge of tarp and pattern), Minefield Pattern. Gaining Employment “Employability skills are the non-technical skills and knowledge necessary for effective participation in the workforce, and can include skills such as communication, self- management, problem solving and teamwork. They are also sometimes referred to as generic skills, capabilities, enabling skills or key competencies.” (http://www.deewr.gov.au/schooling/careersandtransitions/employabilityskills/Pages/Overvi ew.aspx#what)

For the purpose of this application, we use a more restrictive definition of Employability Skills. Our definition is limited to the knowledge, skills and abilities critical to getting a job.

It is also important to note that this is the only section of this unit that is sequential. I always start with the Resume, then move to the Letter of Introduction, then the Job Application, Interview Preparation and finally to the Mock Job Interview. It is my opinion that this is an efficient organization to elicit the critical thinking skills that are necessary to successfully gain employment.

Who Do U Want 2B Purpose: To help students connect a career with the appropriate educational and preparatory needs.

Activity: This is a new website that is sponsored by the California Department of Education. It was released in spring 2012. I am planning to use this site to help my students explore their interests and see where they connect to secondary, post-secondary and apprenticeship opportunities. I plan to have my students create a mini report where they identify the career sector, required training and education, a career description, and a goal setting plan to help them navigate their secondary education to meet their future goals/needs.

Materials: http://www.whodouwant2b.com/

Resume Purpose: To prepare a document that is formatted in an easily comprehensible way that defines and describes the attributes and qualities that the prospective employee brings to an organization.

Activity: A resume is a critical part of gaining employment, especially now when there are often more than ten applicants for every job. There are a few critical points that have to be addressed: (1) Use key words, (2) check for spelling and grammar, (3) have others proof read your resume, make it clear and concise, and make sure that the information is organized in a straight forward and easily read manner. Often times, a resume is passed through computer scanning software to identify and quantify the key words the corporation is looking for. After explaining a good resume, and providing examples (I also use my resume with students, so we can discuss and dissect it), let the students find a template and write their own resume. If you have a particularly “young” group, they may benefit from a bit of graphic organization or outlining. Collect and grade the resume as per rubric (or other predefined metric/scale).

Materials:

 Computers for an entire class or computer lab

 Sample Resume PDF

 Resume Writing Tips PDF

 Microsoft Office Resume Templates Website (http://office.microsoft.com/en- us/templates/results.aspx?ck=1&ex=2&qu=resume&av=all)

 Resume Rubric

Cover Letter Purpose: To practice persuasive writing to gain an interview for entry level employment in a given career cluster.

Activity: A cover letter is your first chance to convince a potential employer that you have something of value for their business. As such, you want to make sure to sell or pitch your attributes. Have students read review and reflect on a sample cover letter. Can you identify a pattern or structure that good cover letters might follow? Then have students write a cover letter. Collect and grade it per a predefined rubric.

Materials:

 Sample Cover Letter PDF

 Keys to Writing a Good Cover Letter PDF

 Microsoft Office Business Letter Templates Website (http://office.microsoft.com/en- us/templates/results.aspx?ck=1&ex=2&qu=business%20letter&av=all)

 Cover Letter Rubric

Job Application Activity: While most applications are moving to being online, it is still important to learn to hand write (clearly print) a job application. Small local businesses generally cannot afford an online system. Sometimes, hand written applications are used when an employer is looking for attention to detail and/or clarity.

The key to completing a job application is to write clearly in blue or black ball point ink. Make it clean and clear. Never cross out or white out on an application. Make sure you know exactly what you are going to write before you do it. Some people even go as far as writing it once on a sheet of paper before writing on the application. Always practice and check for grammar. Have the students complete the included job application, and grade as per a rubric or other instrument.

Materials:

 Blank Job Application PDF: (http://www.rocklin.k12.ca.us/staff/dfrank/skillsusa_leadership/job_application.pdf)

 Job Application Rubric: http://www.rocklin.k12.ca.us/staff/dfrank/skillsusa_leadership/Job%20Application %20Rubric.pdf

Interview Dress, Conduct & Questions Purpose: to prepare students for a great in person job interview.

Activity: Make sure to address the students about eye contact, appropriate attire, proper handshakes, and how to answer interview questions.

Chick, Monkey and Rockstar – Handshake Activity. After explaining the do’s and don’ts of a proper handshake, have the students stand up. Explain that they are all chickens, and will flap around clucking. To graduate to the next level (monkey), they have to meet another chicken. When they meet another chicken, they have to do a formal introduction to each other and properly shake hands. Then they as a pair become monkeys. Now, the pair of monkeys must meet another pair of monkeys and conduct a formal introduction with handshakes. Now each group of four are rock stars, and have to meet another group of four to “graduate”, again conducting formal introductions and handshakes. A chicken flaps its wings and clucks, monkeys jump and “eep”, rock stars play the air guitar.

Materials: PDF of job interview questions, and other info: http://www.rocklin.k12.ca.us/staff/dfrank/skillsusa_leadership/Interview_Prep_Info.pdf

Mock Job Interview Purpose: To practice the knowledge, skills and techniques necessary to gain entry level employment in a chosen career cluster.

Activity: In this activity, you will have prepared the students to conduct a job interview. Make sure that they have the performance rubric, understand appropriate dress, and know how answer interview questions. My expectation is that all students will show up to class in the appropriate attire, for the job they have chosen to apply for.

Break the students into teams of four students. Each group will have a small portion of the classroom as their “office” or “conference room”. Students will rock-paper-scissor for the interview order.

The students conducting the interview will select seven questions from the provided study guide, and take turns asking the questions; similar to an interview with a hiring committee. Upon conclusion of the interview, the students will rate the person being interviewed using the supplied rubric. The person being interviewed will also reflect upon the experience using the same rubric. Repeat this process until everyone has been interviewed. Make sure that you (the instructor) is a task master about time management. It is easy to lose track of time, which cannot happen with this exercise.

Materials:

 Mock Job Questions PDF

 Mock Job Interview Rubric Public Speaking “Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners. It is closely allied to "presenting", although the latter has more of a commercial advertisement” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_speaking)

SkillsUSA Creed Purpose: Defining & afirming core values and class culture; practice public speaking; introduction to SkillsUSA

Activity: Provide a copy of the Creed, and have the students memorize it one section at a time. Ultimately, have them recite the Creed in front of the class. Make sure to have a discussion about good public speaking skills, where the students identify good and bad public speaking traits.

SkillsUSA Creed:

I believe in the American way of life I know our culture is the result of freedom of action and opportunities won by the founders of our American republic, and I will uphold their ideals.

I believe in education I will endeavor to make the best use of knowledge, skills and experience that I will learn in order that I may be a better worker in my chosen occupation and a better citizen in my community. To this end, I will continue my learning now and in the future.

I believe in fair play I will, through honesty and fair play, respect the rights of others. I will always conduct myself in the manner of the best professionals in my occupation and treat those with whom I work as I would like to be treated.

I believe satisfaction is achieved by good work I feel that compensation and personal satisfaction received for my work and services will be in proportion to my creative and productive ability.

I believe in high moral and spiritual standards I will endeavor to conduct myself in such a manner as to set an example for others by living a wholesome life and by fulfilling my responsibilities as a citizen of my community. The Meaning of Time – Poem Purpose: To practice public speaking, and develop a holistic understanding of timeliness

Activity: I use this poem as a tool for timeliness. If a student is tardy to class for any reason, they have to read the poem.

Materials: Website/PDF of Redeem the Poem - http://www.rocklin.k12.ca.us/staff/dfrank/tardypoem/redeemthetime.pdf

Opening/Closing Ceremony Purpose: Introduction to running a formal meeting, practice public speaking, Introduction to SkillsUSA Competition, provide a sense of tradition and being a part of something much larger than just a class.

Activity: Have the students memorize and practice the opening and closing ceremony.

Materials: embedded video of the ceremony: http://skillsusa.org/students/occ.shtml

Website/PDF – Opening and Closing ceremony rules and procedure: http://www.rocklin.k12.ca.us/staff/dfrank/skillsusa_leadership/openclose.pdf Human Relations

Putting It Together: Using Your Skills As a Young Leader Purpose: To organize and apply the previously learned information about leadership.

Activity: Have students read page 28 & 29 in the attached pdf. It is a Case Study of a change of leadership at ALU. Have the students answer the questions at the end, and begin a discussion and debriefing about this case study.

Have the students read the Objective Case about Susan which starts on page 29 and ends on 31. Have the student answer the associated questions. Again conduct an in depth debrief of this objective case.

Materials: Human Relations PDF (http://www.rocklin.k12.ca.us/staff/dfrank/leadership/human_relations.pdf)