I’ve stumbled on (without even visiting StumbleUpon) Tim Milburn’s organisation, Student Leadership Inc.  

In a recent blog post An Open Letter To Teachers, he writes this:

“Often, we don’t know what ’students’ are capable of until we give them an opportunity to test out, try out their leadership skills.”

I have the utmost respect for a man who has respect for children and teens.

And his idea was proved to me just twenty minutes before I read that post. My 6th grader son told me over breakfast that - earlier in the week - his teacher had been distracted and had to leave the room for a considerable amount of time. Not her fault, she’s a great teacher. I personally think it had a lot to do with the ‘debacular’* way of conducting business at his school at the moment, but I can’t prove that so I’ll let it slide.

So let me get this clear for you: the class was left to make their own way for a time without adult supervision.  You’re imagining total mayhem, aren’t you? (So was I at this stage of the story).

However, one of the students simply got up and lead the class. With humour and focus he got them working. A twelve-year old. There was teamwork, there was fun, there was action … and my son told me there was MATH! Imagine a 6 Grade class willingly doing their mathematics with no teacher present?!

That’s leadership. That’s what our kids are capable of.

*Debacular. Thanks to The Molk for inventing this word for me to describe the school situation. He should patent it…