We often hear people talk about leadership.  Teachers and your parents will ask you to "BE a Leader!" You see images on TV and the web that "show" you leaders and encourage  you to be like them.   

Today we walk have a discussion of what leadership is all about.  Some questions we will address are:
1.  What are the types of leadership? 
2.  What makes you a leader? 
3.  Can anyone become a leader? 
4.  What are the skills needed to be a leader?  
5.  Why should I care about this. 

Let's make a visual to help our discussion.  In the google form below, list three adjectives or descriptive words to define and or explain what makes a good leader.  I will then make a quick Wordle to help our discussion. 

...Today is the greatest day of my life. I would like to start out with something that I use in almost every speech, and that is the idea of paying forward.

Paying forward - that is the thing that you folks with your great education from here can do for the rest of your lives.

Take that attitude toward life, because so seldom can we pay back - those whom you owe - your parents and other people - will be gone.Emerson had something to say about that.

He said you can pay back only seldom. But you can always pay forward, and you must pay line for line, deed for deed, and cent for cent. He said beware of too much good accumulating in your palm or it will fast corrupt.
 Read more from this speech. 

In 2000, a movie came out that was called "Pay It Forward"  Watch this clip and thing about what Coach Hayes was saying. 

Open a new blog post.  And create a blog on "Paying It Forward".  
In this post, make sure you address these questions: 
1.  What does "Pay it forward" mean? 
2.  What was Coach Hayes saying to you? 
3.  How did the 7th grade teacher assign all his students. Why is the word "possible" so important in this clip?  
4.  What dose this have to do with the idea of leadership? 
5.  Does this change your ideas on leadership?  

Leadership is a big word!  It means you do really BIG things that change the world!  OR DOES IT? 


Watch the you-tube "Leading with Lollipops" By Drew Dudley.  After you have watched this film, create a blog and complete the following: 
1. Summarize Drew's Story? 
2. What is his idea of leadership?  How is it different from the BIG change idea of leadership? 
3.  How can you lead with lollipops?
4.  How can you "pay it forward?" 

As an Ohio State fan, I have always enjoyed this tradition   I began to think about our "lollipops Leadership lessons" (impact posts on this topic) with students and how we could acknowledge students who are "doing the right think and leading others".  

So starts our "LapTop Sticker" program.  You will earn stickers for your laptop with every act of kindness and leadership that is noticed.  By the end of the year, will your laptop be covered?  You control that!