Last week, the boys in Year 6 began their leadership responsibility in the Positive Attitudes and Life Skills Program by preparing and delivering a lesson to all the other classes at our school during our weekly PALS time. Their first lesson on courage was timely as the boys had been learning about the actions of many Australian through our ANZAC day commemoration. Class teachers are now continuing to build their students’ knowledge and understanding for the next couple of weeks before the Year 6 boys introduce the next concept in this program.

During the lesson, the Year 6 boys asked the other boys to examine what courage is? They gave examples, showed YouTube clips and got the boys to think, discuss, draw and try to explain this abstract but important concept. After discussing and teaching about courage the boys in Year K to Year 5 came up with numerous insightful responses.

• ‘To forgive your classmates, when they do something that you believe that has wronged, well that takes courage.”
• ‘To be patient and calm, even if we sometimes feel like getting angry and retaliating, takes courage.”
• ‘To think about others more than yourself, that takes courage.”
• “It is easy to get angry when something goes wrong, to want to make someone pay, but to forgive and to work out a solution, that takes courage.”

Following the lessons, the boys in Year 6 reflected on the challenges of teaching and the success they achieved. The boys felt that it was an overwhelmingly positive experience and are now keenly awaiting their next lesson so that they can build in their reflections and make the lesson even better, with the support of the classroom teacher.

Pascal Czerwenka – Prep Team Leader

[Show as slideshow]