High School Musical-More than a Movie

OK, so I have a confession! I am a fan of the Disney Channel’s “High School Musical.” Yes, yes, it is true- I am a Disney Channel fan! I first heard the music about 6 months ago while at a local middle school and then I saw the movie and loved it.

Since then, I have used the movie as a spring board for leadership lessons. I teach a few times a week at a local private school and I have a 7th grade leadership class. For about one week we watched this movie and talked about the reality of their school and how it is similar and different to the movie.

After a few days of discussion, it was clear. Every student in the class wanted the same thing: For everyone to get along at school and for everyone to be whom they really are and not be fake.

Sounds idealistic? Maybe too good to be true? Think it can ever happen? See what your class thinks….

If you are a middle or high school teacher, check out the debrief questions below and see what kind of ideas your students can come up with. If you are a student or class officer and looking to run a “leadership lesson” with your peers, check these out and see what your friends and classmates think of the movie and reality.

I hope you enjoy this lesson as much as we did!

1)Which character/characters are the most positive and impacting leaders in the school?
a. How did they use their leadership in a positive way?
b. How did they impact others?

2)What is the difference between Troy and Sharpay’s leadership style?
a. Who would you want to be on a team with and why?
b. What does Troy do well to be an effective leader in his school?
c. Want can you do to be a positive leaders at school?

3)What impact did gossip have on Gabriela and Troy?
a. How would you feel if your friends talked behind your back?
b. What can you do to in order to have open communication? What can you do to not gossip?

4)What did the students finally do to come together as a whole and become friends?
a. Do you think we have more alike or more different with people at our school?
b. What can we do as leaders to show people we are more alike than different?

Where does time go?

Do you ever look at the calendar and think where does time go? I did that today! I realized it has been almost one month since my last blog and I asked myself that exact question…where does time go?

For me, the past month has flown by and I can say I have invested my time. I see time as the one thing EVERYONE has in common. We all have 24 hours in a day, the question is---how do we spend our 24 hours?

For me, I have spent the past month at leadership conferences (wahooo CADA), speaking to AVID educators, re-doing my website and getting ready to write my book. That is right, my first book and I am so excited. More to come as I dive into that project….

As for a leadership resource (as promised on this blog), let me share a wonderful on-line leadership store with you. As I have been speaking more and more to educators and sharing ways to teach interactive leadership, I realized everyone needs to know about CADA and the wonderful shopping store on their site.

This link is to CADA (a non-profit organization that supports Activities Directors and leadership teachers in CA and even nation wide). The site is:
https://www.compu-sult.com/cada/purchase/shopping.asp?first=1&action
feel free to look at all the great resources and if you have any questions, feel free to ask me and/or call CADA.

Until next time…. keep “Inspiring teens to achieve beyond the ordinary.”

:)
Jill