student had never read a word out loud in
front of any other students. The process of
exploring leadership, what leadership meant
specifically to each individual, and how to
carefully assess ones own leadership qualities
evoked a transformation in itself.
The environment within
the class reached a level of
normalization, harmony, and
industrious learning as the
project progressed over the
three-week time span.
The guides looked on as their students rehearsed
their speech with different classmates.
Students requested assistance when needed.
When it was time to give the speeches, the
guide stepped forward and announced that
the students would volunteer when they felt
ready to stand before the audience of their
peers and deliver their speech. The guide
mentioned the challenges and benefits of
going first, third, fifth, and last. The students
discussed why they might favor one position
over another.
After two speeches, the student who had
grown so much during the speechwriting
process elected, with free will, to go simply
expressed, “I will go next.” This student, who
had never read a word out loud in front of
any one classmate, rose to the occasion, believed
in the characters expressed in the
handwritten speech, and transformed into
a public speaker, boldly sharing a speech
that bared the soul and made vulnerable
the person who wrote it. This child stumbled,
paused, reached deep, and completed
a speech that was transformative in ways we
can only imagine.
The students in the class gave constructive
guidance to each other, offering
productive feedback to prepare for a final
recorded speech. The environment within the
class reached a level of normalization, harmony,
and industrious learning as the project
progressed over the threeweek time span.
Leaders were discovered in the school and leaders
emerged, fully capable and confident.
Joanne Shango is principal of The
Montessori School of Rochester,
Michigan.
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