I am applying for a Work Study position on my Semester at Sea voyage. The position is to work with the school-aged children aboard the boat and help implement a study hall and enrichment program. I am looking for a little help editing or fine-tuning my essay. I'll gladly return the favor. Thanks!
What leadership qualities do you bring to the Dependent Children Student Assistant position?
When asked to think of leaders throughout history, I conjure up images of some amazing people - people like Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. The nature and magnitude of these men's work led them to become modern heroes, but leadership can also emerge more subtly; teachers do not always represent this common "leader-as-hero" stereotype. Instead, we offer unique qualities stemming from the power of relationships. I am a leader in all my work with children, as I seek to inspire confidence and success in every child by staying true to my character, and teaching responsibility and respect through positive example.
Effective leaders lead by example, inspiring behavior with their daily action. I pride myself on my character and strong values, and do my best to be a role model of respect and integrity for the children I work with. Through my own actions, I encourage them to be honest, sincere, and respectful. Mutual respect helps me establish trusting relationships, which are key to being a leader capable of making a difference. When I work in preschool and elementary classrooms, I make certain I get to know each student on a personal level; in doing so, I become better equipped to help them make connections to their prior knowledge. As I make learning relevant to the students' own lives, I enhance their understanding as well as their confidence.
As a preschool teacher, I am accountable for up to 16 children and a handful of other student staff members, which requires taking responsibility for my own actions and mistakes, as well as the mistakes of others. When mistakes inevitably occur (we're only human, after all), I make it a learning opportunity instead of becoming discouraged. Learning to use mistakes well is a valuable leadership quality and a critical life skill, and as I learn from my mistakes, I encourage others to do the same.
Lao Tsu once said "A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves." I extend this principle into my work with children both in the classroom and out. By inspiring children to learn instead of directing and commanding, I work as an almost invisible leader. I do not consider it my job to simply impart my knowledge to these children. Instead, I encourage students to ask questions and explore new ideas while using their past knowledge to make sense of new experiences. Leading by example to teach respectful behavior allows me to create learning communities that serve to inspire each child to be a confident student invested in learning for themselves. My role, as their leader, is to facilitate their learning while letting them work from their own initiative.
Through years of experience working with children, I have become a natural leader with many positive assets. As the Dependent Children Student Assistant, I will make use of and strengthen these qualities as I learn and play with the youngest students aboard the MV Explorer. Through my leadership, I hope to help them realize that the realm of possibility extends beyond the borders that they set for themselves. Sometimes, all it takes is a little inspiration by a teacher who cares.
What leadership qualities do you bring to the Dependent Children Student Assistant position?
When asked to think of leaders throughout history, I conjure up images of some amazing people - people like Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. The nature and magnitude of these men's work led them to become modern heroes, but leadership can also emerge more subtly; teachers do not always represent this common "leader-as-hero" stereotype. Instead, we offer unique qualities stemming from the power of relationships. I am a leader in all my work with children, as I seek to inspire confidence and success in every child by staying true to my character, and teaching responsibility and respect through positive example.
Effective leaders lead by example, inspiring behavior with their daily action. I pride myself on my character and strong values, and do my best to be a role model of respect and integrity for the children I work with. Through my own actions, I encourage them to be honest, sincere, and respectful. Mutual respect helps me establish trusting relationships, which are key to being a leader capable of making a difference. When I work in preschool and elementary classrooms, I make certain I get to know each student on a personal level; in doing so, I become better equipped to help them make connections to their prior knowledge. As I make learning relevant to the students' own lives, I enhance their understanding as well as their confidence.
As a preschool teacher, I am accountable for up to 16 children and a handful of other student staff members, which requires taking responsibility for my own actions and mistakes, as well as the mistakes of others. When mistakes inevitably occur (we're only human, after all), I make it a learning opportunity instead of becoming discouraged. Learning to use mistakes well is a valuable leadership quality and a critical life skill, and as I learn from my mistakes, I encourage others to do the same.
Lao Tsu once said "A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves." I extend this principle into my work with children both in the classroom and out. By inspiring children to learn instead of directing and commanding, I work as an almost invisible leader. I do not consider it my job to simply impart my knowledge to these children. Instead, I encourage students to ask questions and explore new ideas while using their past knowledge to make sense of new experiences. Leading by example to teach respectful behavior allows me to create learning communities that serve to inspire each child to be a confident student invested in learning for themselves. My role, as their leader, is to facilitate their learning while letting them work from their own initiative.
Through years of experience working with children, I have become a natural leader with many positive assets. As the Dependent Children Student Assistant, I will make use of and strengthen these qualities as I learn and play with the youngest students aboard the MV Explorer. Through my leadership, I hope to help them realize that the realm of possibility extends beyond the borders that they set for themselves. Sometimes, all it takes is a little inspiration by a teacher who cares.