Weaknesses

My LTS class has been focusing on working on our weaknesses. One of my biggest weaknesses is time management. I would procrastinate my work and get distracted. To fix this weakness I wrote out a schedule for myself and followed it. It washelpfulbecaus then I knew exactly what to do at what time. I was able to get homework done earlier and I got to go to bed earlier. I used my planner to keep up with my with the things I needed to get done. I was able to make more room for events like peer helpers. Managing my time was very helpful. Along with that, I had to work on my organization. I have folders for each class and a notebook for each class. At home I also reorganized my room and made it easier to manage. One weakness I did not improve on much was volunteering more. I did events with my class, but not much outside of it. Volunteering more is still a work in progress.

First Quarter of LTS

This first quarter was successful. I met a lot of different people and learned more about myself. The beginning of the year went well because we got to do fun activities and really understand what this class was about. I think we all have been cooperative in this class and have a positive mentality. I hope we will have more leadership opportunities in the next quarter, like in the shoe drive students were given a good amount of control of the project and it made it fun to help. I'm excited for the second quarter in this class.

My Favorite Teacher

In high school, we face a lot of challenges. For me, one of them was a rigorous course. At the beginning of the school year, I barely had a C in the course. I didn't really think much of it. I thought that a C was okay because I wasn't as smart of the other students in the class. I think my biggest fear was that if I tried really hard and still did bad people would think I was dumb.  My favorite teacher helped me fix all those problems. He was always encouraging and helped me gain the confidence in myself that I needed. I realized that "trying hard" was not a bad thing. It was okay if I did not do well on a test as long as I did everything that I could to study. My teacher gave feedback, engaged with all his students, and made class fun. The class was something you could look forward to in your day. Eventually, I did do better in the course and I raised my grade to a B. It's not an A, but it was something I was proud of because I knew I worked hard for it. Without the help of my teacher, I wouldn't have been as successful in the course as I had been. One of the most important things is for teachers to believe in their students. I hope one day I can influence someone as much as my favorite teacher influenced me.

Growth

Growth can be an intimidating subject. Growth demands change and change can be difficult to approach. However, growth is necessary. Plenty of people have struggled with growth and people will always struggle with it, but it is something that just has to be done. To grow, one has to be motivated. You have to find what you need to improve on and make sure you never lose sight of your goal. Also,   motivation must come with consistency. Consistency is the most important thing. A great example of this is running. Many people get motivated to run. They see natural growth and that makes them excited and they love running, until the progress beings to slow down. After a while, people can begin to become frustrated and make excuses to not run as far or fast. It's easy to settle. At this point in time, consistency is crucial. The most successful runners will be the ones who did not stop. They kept going and kept working just as hard. The growth may not have been as big, but the consistency adds up. Growth takes hard work and time. There will be many setbacks, but consistency will get through each one.

Personality

Last week in our Leadership Through Service class we did research on our personality type. I was Melancholic and ENFJ. I knew some things about myself already, but I did realize new things too. I know that I'm quiet (Melancholic), but I know that at the same time I'm emotional and want to help others (ENFJ). This activity helped me see my strengths, like I'm good at seeing the big picture of situations. The activity also taught me my weaknesses. I know that I tend to set high expectations and  I need to learn how to deal with situations when I'm not as successful as I hoped. I learned that I need to be able to share my ideas and keep an open mind to what other people have to say. I really think this activity was helpful because I know myself better now and know what I have to improve on.

Quote

Quote: "To lead people, walk behind them."

Although this quote is simple, it can go a long way. As a senior in high school, I've learned a lot through experience. Coming in as a freshman you're new to everything. Eventually, you start paying attention to what other students do and you follow their examples. In clubs and activities, you participate, but do not lead. However, now as seniors it's our job to lead the underclassmen. You need to put up a good example, just like past seniors had done for you. You have to remember what it's like being a freshman or a sophomore who is still figuring the system out or a junior who is stressed out with the ACT. It's important that you keep in mind how difficult it could be to get by, but at the same time push your peers because you know it can be done. By knowing the problems that can occur, you will be a better leader. In order for one to be succesful, everyone must be succesful.