A select group of Quitman High School students are learning important leadership skills in the classroom and lessons designed to prepare them for real world challenges.

QHS students who hold a leadership position are invited to participate in ‘Student Leaders’ throughout the year. Over the year, they’re to find their leadership strengths, make smart goals and help within their community.

Student Leaders is a Texas Education Agency-approved class and has been a part of QHS curriculum for five years. Students receive one state credit for being a part of the class, Shelly Chance, Student Leaders teacher and QHS student council adviser, said.

“There’s not like a formal curriculum where there’s a textbook. We have discussions. We talk about what their strengths are,” Chance said. “I try to teach the students how to make smart goals and how to plan. We learn about goals, their strengths as leaders and how to use them. We also talk about how to handle conflict and how to handle when someone disagrees with you.”

Students put together a composition book with all of their ideas and the personality quizzes so they can take the information to look back on after they graduate, Chance said.

“It’s not a normal lecture class where you have bookwork and learn specific things like you do in math and English, but I think it does help kids adjust to real life whenever they get out the real world, whether it’s college or technical school or if they work outside of high school,” she said. “I think it’s beneficial to them because they learn the importance of serving their community, working with others and how to work well with others, they learn how to plan and set goals. Through it all, I’m hoping that they learn to have a servant’s heart as they go out into the world and find ways to do good.”

She received certification to teach the course from the Texas Association of Student Councils.

Chance said the class mostly consists of juniors and seniors. During the fall semester, the students’ work tends to revolve around football games, pep rallies, homecoming and events promoting school spirit.

 Their next projects will be Red Ribbon Week in October and the annual Veterans Day assembly on Nov. 9.

“The students plan for the project. They implement the project and they see the outcome,” Chance said. “So it’s kind of to help them learn how to plan a project.”

Students will also help the teachers with what they need, such as putting up flyers for events. One main focus is taking care of the high school recycling.

“The students take the boxes from the classroom to the recycling plant. So they see how it goes from the school to the recycle plant,” Chance said.

In years past, students attend Tyler Junior College’s high school student leadership conference. They utilize Ted Talks for inspirational lessons on improving leadership skills.

Canned food drive and the Christmas Caring and Sharing gift drive are two other initiatives led by the Student Leaders class.

“Not every school offers it. But I am so grateful our school does and they see the importance of the class because every kids that were in leadership class and they talk to my new class. They tell them what it was like to be a freshman in college,” Chance said. “They give them tips on picking the right classes and picking the right roommates and things like that.”

The class gives students the chance to get to know each other well, she added.

“I just love teaching the class. We’ll have a kid that’s in FFA and if they have something they need to do we help with it,” she said. On the other hand, “FFA has helped student council. It’s a good way for the clubs to work together toward a common goal.”