Developing leadership skills through the school’s experience

School is a place not only to impart knowledge and skills, but also to give opportunities for students to discover and develop their abilities and modern thinking as global citizens. At PennSchool, activities in the House system give them an opportunity to get experience and develop future skills together.

As the House Captain of Terra, Le Ngoc Bao Dan, Class B9 has constantly strived to improve himself to become an independent thinker who understands how to work in a team, how to give positive impacts to organizations and communities.

“In the role of being a house captain, my experience has broadened immensely because I believe when I prioritize the development of other members, I’m also on the path of developing who I am. Meeting new people, coming up with ways to achieve our goals have taught me the importance of communication. As we exchange information and opinions, it’s as if I’m enriching my mind with varied knowledge, the knowledge I never thought I’d learn.

With a wide range of responsibilities, I’m obliged to fulfill the house members who trust in me to facilitate and encourage them to take part in school contests, courses and activities. I hope the members of Terra won’t be afraid to express themselves, or be boxed in a comfort zone that hinders them from their true potential.

Being a house captain has given me many precious experiences and opportunities, as well as the chance to better myself and develop skills important for the future. I hope to continue this role, and achieve the goals set out at the beginning of the year, and create a strong sense of community in Terra, and the school as a whole”.

Le Ngoc Bao Dan – B9

Similar to Bao Dan, the House Captain position gives Gia Han an opportunity to improve her leadership, as well as promote the necessary skills to support her future learning and development.

“Strategic thinking is one of the most worthy skills. As a captain, I need to make a specific plan to guide my house to the highest place due to the increasing competitiveness between the houses in the system. In the process of making strategies, I was able to think outside of the box to come up with impressive and inspired ideas that work the best for all of my house members. I also had the opportunity to better understand myself and practice empathy for others. I recognize that I need to understand the balance between having fun with the activities and keeping track of the school assignments. I also need to organize the plan so that everyone feels comfortable and enjoys the activities. I also learned how to be responsible for both the successes and failures of the team. Therefore, I can accept blame when something does not go correctly.

Flexibility is another skill that I gained through the process since I need to ​​accept changes in stride and make creative problems to solve. One of the most essential techniques I devised was to connect every member of our house and break the issue of their big age gap, which results in variances in their thinking and personal perspective on life. I was able to solve this difficulty thanks to the use of social media. Social media indirectly connects people via sharing hobbies, preferred songs, places, etc. From that, people will find their interest in others and start sharing which is making friends”.

Dang Gia Han – ADP 11B

Being “a leader” helps students to raise their confidence and responsibility for many aspects of life. Developing students’ leadership is also one of the key goals at PennSchool. Wishing all of you to do the best as new House Captains in this school year.