introduction to the 2008 nols leadership educator notebook

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CoachingConsider how best to coach your students. Everyone has theirown style. Will you wait to give feedback until the end of the day?How much should you interject while they lead? How you coachyour students provides lessons just as valuable as the actual coachingyou offer. You don’t need to discuss the educational merits of yourcoaching; it’s enough that you model respectful habits. Much of acourse’s experience speaks for itself and doesn’t need to be reducedto words to be educational. Let your coaching be an example of oneway to teach experientially.Teachable MomentsAs instructors become more fluent with the curriculum they alsobecome more adept at finding natural teaching opportunities on anexpedition. Weather moves in, Plan A gets tossed out the window,and the savvy instructor finds a minute to mention tolerance foradversity. There is almost always a leadership lesson hidden in theday’s events. It isn’t luck, it’s seeing the opportunities in change. Inthis example, if it was your course and you had just decided to backoff of a sea kayak paddle around a point, the discussion afterwardwould be the perfect opportunity to teach about situational leadershipand decision-making in a set of circumstances that may nothave been relevant yet on your expedition.NOLS expeditions must be challenging enough that leaders,both student and instructor, practice dealing with dynamic systemsand applying their knowledge to new situations. Some leadershipschools intentionally create conditions where leaders-in-trainingneed to make timely decisions with incomplete information. Onour expeditions these situations literally come with the territory.Our job is to finesse these events, balancing student decision-makingopportunities with sound risk management practices.In stressful conditions, if a student leader doesn’t default to an appropriateleadership style, then instructors can recommend a quickand efficient approach. Once the LOD has made and implementeda plan, it is the perfect time to discuss it as part of the leadership curriculum—asclose as possible to still being “in the moment.” Later atcamp might be a good time to discuss the theoretical pros and consof different ways to make decisions in similar, future situations.Everything depends on how well the student leader is handlingthe situation and on how much the group can afford to flounder.Our aim is to prepare our students to succeed in critical situationsby themselves.Integral EducationIt can take a new instructor dozens of field weeks of apprenticingto competently teach single leadership topics, let alone meld theminto a fluid progression.Senior instructors can help junior instructors by modeling greatteaching and effective decision-making, and by coaching in appropriatedoses.Stress and Peak PerformanceStudents who are stressed cannot perform at their peak. Stressmay come from environmental factors or from within the students’own minds as they work to learn the course material. Students alsofeel stress when they do not feel safe in the group they are part of.Chronic stress impairs a student’s ability to sort out what’s importantand what’s not (Jensen, 1988). (Read more about this in theNOLS Wilderness Educator Notebook.) While we cannot changethe environmental factors we encounter, we can help groups reducesocial stresses.Hormones such as cortisol are commonly released during periodsof stress and serotonin levels are affected, as well. Diminished serotoninlevels have been linked to violent and aggressive behaviors.For example, students who are “top dog” in their home life andjust “one of many” in a classroom might become more impulsive(Jensen, 1998). Some of these students flourish when given roleslike LOD. Studies suggest that classroom status or social hierarchieschange the brain’s chemistry. This makes a good case for the importanceof changing roles often to ensure everyone has a chance to leadand follow.It is imperative that we maintain a safe and positive learning environmentso our students can reach their full potential. We mustallow each student to find a place in the group that they are comfortablewith relative to the other students. We must also allow each ofour students to be pushed in a healthy manner so they realize theyare capable of more than they expected.A SAMPLE COURSELEADERSHIP PROGRESSIONPHASE I—Setting GroundworkStudent focus—establish group goals, values, and expectations.Instructor focus—provide direction, expectations, and a safe environment.Role model expected behaviors.First Few Field Days• Outline the seven leadership skills. Talk about what they looklike on this course. Involve the students.• Go over evaluations and expectations in detail.• Explain the leadership and course progressions. Diagram this viaa pyramid or a ladder. Explain what you as instructors will be doing.Explain when and how students can influence the progression.If traveling on their own is part of the progression, explaincriteria required for the students to be allowed to do this.• Model leading. Make decisions in front of students. Questionand clarify in front of the whole group.• Give a short, simple decision-making class, Part One (see “Decision-Making,”4-4).• Debrief your own leading each day with the student group. Giveinstructors feedback publicly. Admit mistakes, say what youlearned, and move on. Tell others what you did well and whatthey did well.• Start teaching classes that students will need to lead (such as“Travel Plans”.• Allow people time to get to know each other. Do many fun activities.Goals for Phase I:• Discuss Positive Learning Environment/Expedition Behavior.• Agree on group goals and values.• Introduce the seven NOLS Leadership Skills.• Model leadership.• Clarify course structure and expectations.• Review evaluation and feedback process.• Teach a simple decision-making class.• Have fun as a whole group.Introduction 62008 NOLS Leadership Educator Notebook
• Introduce some of the skills students need to lead in this environment(travel plans, etc.)• Help students see how past experiences will help them on thiscourse (transference).Day 1• Get yourself and your students jazzed. Explain overall coursegoals, the big picture.• Involve students in organizing for the expedition wherever possible.• Do something fun together such as an icebreaker.• Put your students at ease by explaining or discussing the role ofstudents and instructors—knowing what is expected of them canhelp your students to succeed as well as relax.Day 2• Explain the concept of Expedition Behavior. Facilitate a discussionof what makes a great group and a positive learning environment(see “Positive Learning Environment,” 2-1).• Introduce the seven NOLS Leadership Skills and tie them intothis talk.• Have the group come up with two to four group goals they wantto strive for which are separate from instructor expectations—thestudents make and own these.• Have everyone sign the positive learning environment goals.PHASE II—Learning LeadershipStudent focus—learn leadership roles, responsibilities, and expectations.Practice leading. Have fun.Instructor focus—set leadership expectations. Reinforce, correct,and coach students on their leadership.Started Before The End Of The First Week• Facilitate a short discussion on what everyone believes is “goodleadership.”• Describe the role, responsibilities and expectations of the LOD(see article on “Leader of the Day”). Discuss the role of the instructorwhen a student is leading. Re-negotiate this with eachstudent or team every time they lead.• Observe and coach students as they lead.• Teach a communication skills class and lead a group activity (see“Communication Class” outline, 5-1).• Debrief student LODs every day using a structure they will laterbe able to use themselves (see article on “Student Debriefs,”7-1). Short leadership theory nuggets impromptu well in thesedebriefs.• Check in with your student groups. This need not take long, butshould occur frequently. Ask, “What more do you need from us?What is helpful that we are doing?” And listen!• As soon as the first few niggles (slight discomforts) show up inthe group, talk about the stages of group development (see articleon “Group Development,” 2-3).• Give an in-depth decision-making class once they’ve practiced abit (see “Decision-Making,” 4-4).• Conduct a leadership styles exercise or discussion.Goals for Phase II:• Teach a Leader Of the Day class.• Give each student a chance to lead at least once, either as part ofa team or individually.• Teach a decision-making class.• Students start using modeled debrief formats.• Lead at least one leadership styles discussion or exercise.• Check in one-on-one with each student.• Conduct several group check-ins.• Lead a communication skills class/exercise.• Introduce the stages of group development.• Ask students to discuss how the skills they are learning are applicableto non-NOLS course situations (transference).PHASE III—Developing LeadershipStudent focus—Practice skills. Coach their peers. Meet increasingchallenges, continue to have fun and learn new skills.Instructor focus—Transition to shadow-coaching and consulting.Middle Section of Course• Facilitate first tent group debriefs. Typically, second and thirdtent group debriefs are run by the students.• Teach more leadership classes.• When you notice conflict brewing, do a conflict managementexercise (see “Conflict,” 2-6), then have the students manage it.• Conduct the “No-Doze Leadership” exercise (see 7-2).• Before students are allowed to plan a ration period, teach a classon decision-making in large groups (see “Group Meetings” article,11-4).• In debriefs, link your role as an instructor to a larger framework—reference classes, patterns of good and bad behavior that you haveobserved on the course, theories, stories and other skills.• Students can teach other leadership classes of their interest, e. g.“Gender-Specific Leadership Styles.” Consider having them reteacha skill for practice.• Provide mid-course evaluations. Ask students to come preparedto discuss how they are doing on the seven leadership skills andhow they intend to make progress. Ask them to give you feedbackas well.• Revisit group goals and values. If the group is progressing well,consider letting them plan and implement new goals and changesafter you approve them. If the group is not meeting expectations,your instructor team needs to be more active in meetings. Makethe group aware of gaps, explaining what you want the group todo and why.By the end of Phase III, all students will have had at least twomore opportunities to lead others individually or as part of a team.They have evaluated their leadership.PHASE IV—Transitioning To IndependenceStudent focus—Practice, practice, practice! Encounter challengingsituations. Have fun. Learn limitations.Instructor focus—Monitor, step back, and transition.• Continue with classes, debriefs, and activities—check to see thatstudents have all the basic skills down.• In Phase III or IV, student teams may start planning and facilitatingmulti-day curriculum and travel. Groups may plan a rationperiod, organize a service project, simulate a rescue, etc.• If appropriate, students may lead and travel without instructorsin phase III or IV. Check in and debrief as appropriate. If youdo not allow students to lead in the absence of instructors, otheroptions are shadowing the groups, small groups with instructors,etc. (see “Independent Small Group Expeditions” article).2008 NOLS Leadership Educator Notebook 7Introduction
Page 5: LEADERSHIP EDUCATION AT NOLSHISTORI
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