Before the conclusion of the 2023-2024 school year, Mr. (Coach) Lance Ramer proposed the idea of a “Leadership” class. Currently, at the start of the 2024-2025 school year, a crowd of students are enthusiastic about having joined the course. Cultivating Leadership, known as “leadership class” around the school community, has opened up new opportunities for students to explore what it means to be a leader in all aspects of life: athletics, business, and one’s school community.
With the help of CEL Department Chair Ed Glassman, the idea of the class was presented to the head of Upper School Mr. Matthew Norcini and the rest is history.
“[Mr. Ramer] came to us two years ago and mentioned that he had this idea for an elective all about what it means to be a great leader,” said CEL Department Chair Edward Glassman said. The idea was eventually brought to life, and Mr. Ramer’s idea of what was just supposed to be an extension of a robust CEL curriculum classroom, blossomed into a class full of students who are looking for guidance in their own lives.
Senior Michael Mellor discussed how the class has already impacted him three weeks in: “So far it’s impacted me because I kind of have to be a leader every day with employees, and stuff like that because I run a landscaping business. So it’s kind of teaching me how to be a good leader, and it’s been pretty helpful with doing that daily,” Mellor remarked.
With no surprise, the leadership class has not only spread to the Upper School, but the Middle School classes have also been applying their leadership skills inside and outside of the classroom with the help of Mr. Glassman and music/CEL leader Mr. Adam B.W. There is also a class in the Middle School with the same goal of pursuing one’s full leadership potential.
“In CEL we have a fifth-grade class called Teamwork and Collaboration that has a lot of aspects on how to be an effective leader. That’s currently taught by Mr. B.W, and leadership is baked in a lot of interesting places throughout the CEL curriculum but is also a stated theme for our eighth grade in our advisory curriculum,” said Mr. Glassman.
Mr. Ramer shared what the word “leadership” truly means to him, as he not only goes through the life of teaching but also coaching and being a father.
“I mean leadership to me is complicated,” he replied. “Great leaders put themselves and their own sort of agendas to the side, or at least in parallel, because the team is so important to them. It’s almost checking your pride at the door and really focusing on the bigger picture and motivating those around them [you] to be better.”
I expect that very soon, whether in a couple months or years, this class will attract the attention of many young aspiring leaders of the SCH community.
