Recharge Day! - Reflection of Student Teaching Do-It-Yourself project

For the first annual Recharge day at Shippensburg High School students had time to build stronger bonds with teammates and to re-evaluate their goals as a team.  The day was very beneficial and did a good job combining work and fun!  Below is the agenda with comments/suggestions highlighted for the future.

Recharge:

Shippensburg Chapter Officer Retreat

 February 15, 2015

Location: Shippensburg High School

10:00 – 10:15 AM: Individual reflection (Students can travel to different places in the classroom, shop, or office to reflect)

• Students and Advisors will take this time to reflect on what they have done to help the officer team up to this point in the term.  They will include personal goals they had as well as goals they still have for the remaining two and a half months of their term.
  10:18 – 11:00 AM:  Group reflection
• Students and advisors will meet together and will share the goals they have met and contributed to as an individual and then as a team.
  • Perhaps in the future utilize the LME (Leadership Metaphor Explorer) cards that have pictures on them to encourage students to share their thoughts and feelings.  It could create more of an open environment.  If the cards are misplaced, students could always draw an icon or use magazines to represent their feelings.
    
    
    
    11:03 – 11:45 AM: Where do we go from here?  SMART Goals
• As a team revisit the mission statement and POA for this year and develop a realistic list of what we can develop/do in the future. 
  • This list could be typed as it is discussed and projected for everyone to see
    

    
    11:48 – 1:00 PM: Lunch Break
• Take a brisk walk up to Kathy’s Deli to get some fresh air and have a fun walk.
  1:00 – 1:30 PM: Have President, Trevor, lead leadership activity. 
• The activity is one with mouse traps that has students set mouse traps and blindfold one another and lead them through a maze of traps
  • Activity will vary depending on what the officer decides
     
    1:33 – 2:00 PM: Evaluation
• Why was that activity important/relevant to our officer team? 
  • Answer: Reminded us that we need to rely on our teammates and use them as resources.  Everyone is important in a team and help to complete a puzzle!
    2:03 – 3:30 PM: Team Decides
• This time is flexible the officers will get the choice to decide what activity/game they can do.  They all knew this before-hand and were told to bring options of what they could do.  This is to help them grow and bond as a team and should be fun.  It could be a game that someone brings in, practicing parliamentary procedure using ridiculous motions, making a crazy FFA promotional video to use at an FFA meeting &/or banquet.
  • In the future charge students with the task of deciding an activity 2 weeks prior and have them share their top three choices and bring necessary materials the Recharge day.
    3:33 – 4:00 PM: Review
• Review the goals for the next few weeks and specific tasks for each person.  Have Chaplain share inspiration al message to boost energy!
  • Could/should invite State Officer or a PSO to join in the future!
    4:03 – 5:30/6:00 PM: Movie!
• Enjoy the end of a successful day!  Watch a movie together as a team.  It could be simple and fun and/or educational.  Consider the movie Farmland.
  • Students could bring in desserts/snacks for this event!
    In conclusion, the day was a lot of fun and was great to amp up the positive energy with the officer team.  I am excited to see where the officer team will take the rest of their term!  Additionally, after discussing with Mrs. Bier, I think that in the future I should assign officers specific items from the agenda to lead.  This will help to enhance their leadership skills!