So the post below was written mid Oct. after a couple Emerging Leaders courses centering around the ideas of “Consciousness of Self” and “Consciousness of Others” found in Emotionally Intelligent Leadership: A Guide for College Students.
Recently I have been thinking a lot about my development and socialization and how I have changed in my last four years of school. I see so much of myself in the students I teach who are just four years behind me; freshmen, at a new place, with new independence and a clean slate ahead of them. I held similar views about leadership and told similar examples of teamwork, flexibility, initiative, and achievement in high school clubs, ASB, class, and sports teams. Because of the Emerging Leaders class I appreciate so much more the experiences and growth I have gone through. I sometimes wish I could just give the students my brain with all the experiences and lessons I have learned over my few short years of college to make their lives easier. They have a lot to look forward to. I had no idea I would learn so much in a course that I was teaching.
These recent classes have also allowed me to reflect on the personal values and beliefs that shape who I am. I am slowly starting to understand the conflicts and challenges I will have that question some of the lessons and social beliefs and values I have been taught my entire life. My upbringing has shaped in a wonderful way the person I am today and I am so grateful for it, but it is apparent that my conservative childhood will be challenged by many practices and philosophies of higher education. I am not sure how this will play out, and continue to be open and available to new ideas, however I am scared of losing myself in the many messages being presented to me.
This is a picture of my Emerging Leaders class struggling with the "Habitat House" activity.
It took a while but in the end they made it!
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