Leaders in the Classroom
¬Student Leadership
Student leaders come in all shapes and sizes. They choose to lead based on their skills and preferences. Whether in social groups, athletics, or within the classroom, student leaders demonstrate certain traits that benefit both themselves and those they are leading. Generally speaking, leaders are classified as role models within the student body. They are the students who challenge the status quo, who ask questions and demand answers. They inspire athletic teams and social organizations alike; they bring to light the issues that an organization or club faces and work toward a solution. The traits and skills that these leaders exhibit socially, athletically, and academically can be both inherit and learned. The leaders success is based on their ability to foster motivation and involvement in those around them. Student leadership in college is different from what it was in high school. In high school, the leaders were pre-determined by the successes a student had in elementary school. Leaders were formed by superficial qualities: how many cookies you had at lunch, or how you handled embarrassing situations. College presents a new environment for the student to thrive in. (Barber, 14) Students base their social activities on what interests them, and tend to group around people with similar interests. In the process of joining clubs, sororities, frats, and other student organizations, the typical college student begins to develop traits that evolve our personalities. (Komives, 10) The student becomes a more independent individual. College presents a blank page. Students are seen less for who they were, and more for who they will be.
The change in the social atmosphere at college means a student must look for opportunities to become a leader. In high school leadership positions were presented to the student on a silver platter, and the individual was able to pick and choose where they wanted to excel. (Barber, 14) In college,
Student leaders come in all shapes and sizes. They choose to lead based on their skills and preferences. Whether in social groups, athletics, or within the classroom, student leaders demonstrate certain traits that benefit both themselves and those they are leading. Generally speaking, leaders are classified as role models within the student body. They are the students who challenge the status quo, who ask questions and demand answers. They inspire athletic teams and social organizations alike; they bring to light the issues that an organization or club faces and work toward a solution. The traits and skills that these leaders exhibit socially, athletically, and academically can be both inherit and learned. The leaders success is based on their ability to foster motivation and involvement in those around them. Student leadership in college is different from what it was in high school. In high school, the leaders were pre-determined by the successes a student had in elementary school. Leaders were formed by superficial qualities: how many cookies you had at lunch, or how you handled embarrassing situations. College presents a new environment for the student to thrive in. (Barber, 14) Students base their social activities on what interests them, and tend to group around people with similar interests. In the process of joining clubs, sororities, frats, and other student organizations, the typical college student begins to develop traits that evolve our personalities. (Komives, 10) The student becomes a more independent individual. College presents a blank page. Students are seen less for who they were, and more for who they will be.
The change in the social atmosphere at college means a student must look for opportunities to become a leader. In high school leadership positions were presented to the student on a silver platter, and the individual was able to pick and choose where they wanted to excel. (Barber, 14) In college,
Bibliography: Barber, Bonnie L. and Eccles, Jacquelynne S. “Student Council, Volunteering, Basketball, or Marching Band. What of Extracurricular Involvement Matters?” Journal of Adolescent Research 1999; 14; 10 DOI:10.1177/0743558499141003 Chambers, T. (1992). The development of criteria to evaluate college student leadership programs: A Delphi approach. Journal of College Student Development, 33, 339-347. Komives, Susan R “Developing a Leadership Identity: A Grounded Theory”. Journal of College Student Development. FindArticles.com. 19 Jul, 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3752/is_200511/ai_n15847515/ Shulman, James L. The Game of Life: College Sports and Educational Values. New Jersey: Princeton UP, 1965. Print Slavin, R. E. (1991). Student team learning: A practical guide to cooperative learning. 3rd Ed. Washington, DC: National Education Association.