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Week 1 -- January 7th -- 11th, 2019

West Leadership Academy -- January 7th through January 11th,  2019


The Grind Continues, Pt. I

Good Morning YESS Community,

     My name is Carlos Villagrana-Juarez and I am the new YESS West Leadership Academy Instructor. I am beyond blessed to be serving this community this semester and I am looking forward towards finishing the year STRONG.

This past week, students reported back to school from Christmas break. We are now operating in a new, bigger room. Check it out!



I am a firm believer in TRUST and TRANSPARENCY in the classroom. The only way to develop these skills is by leading by example and being honest with the classes. That being said, I laid out my powerpoint presentation detailing my life and let students get a glimpse of my past. Now that they were able to see what an example of trust and transparency looks like, they have to do it themselves.

The first assignment of the semester is for themselves to make their own presentations about their lives. Not only that, they will be presenting this in front of the class this week. Be on the lookout for next week's blog to see photos of our students presenting.

One of the biggest skills we need to develop in our classes is public speaking and being able to command the attention of those around. On the flipside, we need students to understand the importance of being able to listen and ultimately, be invested in what the person is saying, whether it be a teacher or a student. This allows students to be able to understand the perspective of a teacher/presenter, something that may not be so clear nor easy to many.

Not only that, but this assignment will let students have a glimpse into the lives of their peers, which may not always be the case. To build a community, we must trust one another. To trust one another, we must be willing to listen. Once we are willing to listen and willing to understand, the rest will come.

The semester and the process is just beginning.


Thank you.

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