10-Elements of Leadership Feedback

Throughout the semester at Alzar School students are continually framing their experiences with our 10-Elements of Leadership. Including traits such as character, communication skills and inspiring vision these 10 Elements guide students’ growth throughout their time on campus, on expedition, in both Idaho and Chile. Each week and weekend a group of students is designated as the Leaders of the Week and Leaders of the Weekend (LOWs.) On expedition, we have Leaders of the Day (LODs.) During their time as designated leaders, they are responsible for running community meetings, relaying important information to their classmates during dinner circle, and planning weekend activities that account for relaxation, fun and studying. While on expedition, LODs plan everything from the schedule for the day and the route the group will take to picking a campsite and organizing lessons.

After each LOD or LOW experience, fellow students and teachers give feedback to the leaders centered around the 10 Elements. They highlight moments of triumph where the leaders shone, such as an instance when the group seemed to have a strong opinion of how they wanted their weekend structured and leaders used their resourcefulness and resiliency to account for those desires and make the best weekend schedule for all. Feedback is direct and actionable so that students can make adjustments the next time they are in a designated leadership role later in the semester. Teachers also give feedback to the students based on their classroom performance to help them to see their leadership abilities in all spheres. Teachers submit mid and end-of-semester feedback to share things like, how impressed they are with a student’s character to willingly take risks in class and their commitment to continual learning and improvement by pronouncing words correctly in Spanish, even if it requires a few extra moments of focus. Each piece of feedback is recorded in students’ feedback documents and signed by the community member that shared it. Students then can refer back to these documents when reflecting on their leadership styles, strengths and tendencies. It is amazing to see such young students being immersed in self-reflection and so obviously realizing their effect on the world around them!