Holton and Landon eighth grade students participated in a Middle School leadership symposium at Holton-Arms on January 25, 2017. Interim Middle School Director, Christy Diefenderfer, shared with The Scene some of the highlights of the day and the overall goal of this collaborative day.
"Our focus was on everyday leadership. We began by listening to a TED talk by Drew Dudley where he describes a lollipop moment – a moment where he had a profound effect on someone's life without even realizing it until they told him. He focuses on the notion that when we describe leadership as something really big, like saving the world, many people count themselves out. But, if we think of every small way we can lead each day, we will all be everyday leaders and make a huge impact together on the world.
Holton and Landon students then broke into small groups where they discussed the video and how it related to leadership. This was followed by a collaborative activity in which the group had to work as a team to complete a task. Each person was a part of the task and if they were not listening or missed a cue, the series would end. We then talked about the importance of collaboration in leadership and how everyone has a role in a team's success.
Finally, students discussed ways that they could be everyday leaders at both schools, citing different examples. Coming back to the whole group, they shared out their top ideas."
It was a great learning experience for all of our Holton and Landon students as we collaborate together to build leaders within our community.
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