Leadership training camp

LTC 09 has just ended.

What an eventful camp!

It has been quite a few years since teachers' organised LTC camp. And it was a first for me to be in it too.

I was approached to help out in the camp, and i thought to myself, " Hmmmm, 7 of my students are in it. It will be good to stick around in camp to see how they grow thru this experience."

Intentional Walk
An activity that requires a person to walk thru two rows of participants uniquely!
This was a fun activity that caused alot of cheering, bonding and laughter. Memorable ones were from Ming Xiang and Victoria doing their cartwheels. Of course not forgetting the ever ready to shine Rachael doing her....I dunno whats the name for what she did, Front cartwheel? =)

This was also a good time for the leaders to think whether they are ready to lead. Being in front of the crowd in the spot light is never an easy task. Especially when you know that people are judging you.

Scenarios Training
Students were given difficult scenarios and asked to think about their reactions. I see most students gave perfect model answers, and when i questioned them if it was truly what they will decide to do, they answered with conviction in their eyes.
This reminded me of an incident which happened in my class earlier this year. A discipline case required me to ask some students to write green forms. However they felt it was necessary to ask "permission" from the offender to whether they can write the "truth".

I was shocked. Loyalty to friends seemed more important than helping bring justice to what the offender has done to a teacher. In that moment, my heart goes out to the offender who realises he has done wrong and just asked his classmates to go ahead and write the truth.
I wonder what my students would have written should he have asked them not to.

Night Walk
With just small light sticks leading the way, students are to walk thru some of the darkest portions of the school!
I was stationed just before one of the darkest part of the route. Halfway thru, i was thinking to myself, is this a Night walk? or a Intentional Walk? Simply because, each student was going pass me with all kinds of styles and actions!

Guys who were afraid adopted the "gangster" walking mannerism, some purposely dragged their feet loudly, some were whistling and singing too. An unforgettable one was Robert from 1-2. He was dodging from pillar to pillar like a detective. Inside i was LOL-ing all the way when i spotted him.

Girls. I salute the girls here for their bravery in facing up to their fears. They were not afraid of showing their weaknesses and taking their time slowly to overcome them. I believe in humility, as leaders, often we will meet with circumstance we do not know how to handle, but we must think on the spot for solutions or be humble enough to ask others for advice. Thru their tears, I believe many girls went thru the Night walk which before this, they would have never thought that it could be something that they are capable of.

Coach Carter
As i watched this DVD to find all the parts that we want to show the leaders, I must have watched the whole movie 6 or 7 times. Yet as I watch Cruz illustate his deepest fear each time, I cant help but be moved by his words. I hope this movie made a small impact on my students, and hopefully when the new year begins, I can find chance to screen the whole movie to those who are interested.

Amazing Race!!!!!
An unforgettable event! Especially with my racing Lloyd up the spider web at West Coast park, leaving me with a bruised chin ( and a bruised ego). Argghh =(
Admiration at my station goes out to those who were afraid of heights but still managed to conquer them. Some names to mention are Garrick and Amanda, the rest I apologise, I didnt get all your names. I was helping Garrick up the web and his hands were freezing cold. Many a times he said " no i cant do it anymore, i want to go down." but with encouragement, he went all the way up, and was able to lie flat down without any help.

Looks like my students are demolishing their fears one at a time! from Darkness, to heights.

Leader's Night!
Hmmm, I cant remember when was the last time I was so dressed up. I felt kind of excited, as if i was going to a prom. (I can remember my JC prom though, it was horrible.) A lot of effort was put in by the Leader's Night committee to setting up the place and creating the ambience.

Just as there were many "firsts" for the students thru out the activities in camp, dancing is a first for me in my life. Though i enjoy the limelight in certain things i do, i know i absolutely suck at singing and dancing. However, still i wanted to learn what steps my students were learning, so i was asking the guys to teach me. Guys being guys, we all suck at it. It must have been an eye sore for Rachael seeing how hard they were trying to teach me but getting no where. She stepped in to give me a "proper" lesson.

Gasps! and there goes my first dance with a lady! Too shy to continue, i made my exit and hide away. Lol.

Finale
An eventful 3 days, leaving us with alot to learn and alot to think about. One parent called me to ask me what the camp was about as they are worried their child will be caught up in too much activities and their academics will suffer.

So this is my message to all leaders that chance upon my blog.

1. You all already know that academics is a requirement for being a leader. Now are you going to see it as a burden? Or are you going to see leadership being a motivation for you to want to excel in your work?

2. With all the values and empowerment that you went thru during the camp, not all of you will be chosen to be leaders at the end of the day. Now will you leave the responsibilities to those who are chosen? Would you still think, act and behave like a leader even though you do not have a badge?

Being a leader is a decision, a choice. It comes with many responsibilities, not all we are comfortable with but we go thru with it to see that they are achieved. With or without a badge, a true leader exhibits his/her qualities at all times.

And that is how I hope that all students in AES will strive to become.


This is Mr Low signing out after a very very very long post.

See you guys soon. =)


PS: I would really like to hear from all leaders that have attended LTC if they have any thoughts and feelings after reading my post. Feel free to post in my comment or tagbox, or if you wish to share more private thoughts, u can email me at low_kiah_yong@moe.edu.sg

My Kitten

As I watch my little Kitten hide out in my woofer box, I think of my students.

When I first spotted this kitten, it was injured badly hiding among the bushes near a very big drain. It was drizzling and when the water level rises, it would definitely drown.

As humans, it was very easy for us to see the predicament, the kitten got to leave the bushes or it will die. But for the kitten, it wasnt able to see the same. It was thinking to itself, im injured, im safe in the bushes, i will attack anyone that tries to touch me.

This is very much similar to parents and teachers guiding our students. We can see 10 steps ahead of you and we always warn you of what is to come. However, you can only see 3 - 5 steps in front of you and decide that you know what is best, and you react against your teachers and parents.

I climbed into the drain to pick up the kitten. It was ferocious. It bit me on my finger and i was bleeding profusely. Still i managed to bring it to a vet and now it resides in my home, together with my other 2 cats.

Heres a video showing how it is still very scared and wary and resorts to hiding in all places.