Mitchell Leadership Institute Presents at International AMLE Conference
Joanne Wesolowski, teacher and mentor for the 7th grade Patricia J. Mitchell ‘65 Leadership Institute (MLI) program, recently presented the nationally distinctive Middle School curriculum at the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) international conference. Held on November 6-9, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, the AMLE conference brought thousands of middle school educators together to network and learn about cutting-edge programming for middle grades.
This was the first time Maryvale applied to and was selected to present a speed session at the AMLE conference. Chosen for her expertise and the MLI unique "competitive advantage" with the MLI program, which begins with a required course in 6th Grade, Ms. Wesolowski has taught the 7th grade leadership course for six years.
Presenting the Mitchell Leadership Institute’s Distinctions
Our program is definitely unique in Baltimore
— Ms. Wesolowski explains.
During her session presentations and interactions with the global participants, she was surprised to learn that few schools across the country and globe have a formal leadership program like Maryvale.
”We don't just have the middle school leadership curriculum; everything we do leads to high school and continues with our Upper School Leadership Certificate program. Every Maryvale student participates in leadership in some form or another.”
During her AMLE session, she shared the MLI structure and scaffolded leadership curriculum from 6th through 8th grades. She also engaged attendees in a hands-on lesson on effective communication, which she did with her students a few weeks earlier. Participants sat back to back, with one person describing something while another person drew it based solely on the description. Each MLI lesson includes a hands-on activity to underscore the leadership concept being presented.
Developing Middle School Leaders
At AMLE, Ms. Wesolowski shared the concept that it’s age-appropriate for middle school that burgeoning leaders tend to assume that when a middle schooler is leading an activity or a small committee, they tend to think that it’s their opinion that matters. The MLI curriculum teaches students to listen for and to weigh other voices.
“At the beginning of the school year, we discuss different leadership skills and qualities,” she explains. “I tell them that every one of them has been a leader if they’re doing something good and somebody else is taking that example and following them.”
Ms. Wesolowski collaborates with the MLI faculty, particularly her middle school colleagues Laura Scott, MLI director who teaches the 8th grade leadership course, and 6th grade leadership teacher Mary Readinger. Maryvale was the first Baltimore region independent school to formalize a curricular and co-curricular leadership program in 2014. The school requires weekly leadership courses from 6th through 8th grade, with several electives for Upper School students.
The Impact of Teaching Life Skills
Teaching leadership skills and concepts to 7th grade girls energizes Ms. Wesolowski. “It’s very important to teach them leadership skills, which are a lot of life skills,” she explains. “These skills help them be successful in other classes, in middle and high school, and in social situations.” Skills include learning how to make introductions and have initial conversations with someone you’ve just met. “Everything we do is very important,” she adds. “Life skills help our girls be the best versions of themselves that they can possibly be.”
The MLI curriculum is an intentional mix of academic leadership theory and practical skills. Imparting the latter, especially when it makes a positive difference, inspires Ms. Wesolowski. Just before Thanksgiving break, she led a lesson on gratitude, asking the 7th graders to choose someone in their life who has made a difference. The students drafted hand-written thank you letters, which Ms. Wesolowski reviewed for grammar and syntax (writing and re-writing are vital to leadership skills). The students then wrote their final draft on stationery.
“The letters were very moving, and I guarantee the recipients were very touched,” she adds. “Letter-writing is a dying art, but it’s an important skill for our students to have.” For every guest speaker who presents to the 7th grade, Ms. Wesolowski has the class draft and sign a thank-you card, complete with a lesson in addressing an envelope.
For the AMLE conference, Ms. Wesolowski displayed the kind of risk-taking example the MLI faculty hope to instill in the students. This was her first conference proposal and presentation, and she’s excited to bring the experience and what she learned from her global colleagues to Maryvale: “It was an amazing conference with tons of really good information. I am really proud of our leadership program.”
Congratulations, Ms. Wesolowski!
