Over the course of the last few years, we have refined our approach to student leadership and self-reflection with the creation of Leadership Portfolios. Driven by the invaluable input of our students, we recognized the need to adapt and innovate. What started as physical binders soon found its new home with digital possibilities. We first transitioned to Google Slides and eventually, Google Sites to make the experience more dynamic and accessible.
In this portfolio, students showcase their strengths and passions as they document their journey of growth at MMS. Every student has the freedom to shape their portfolio, making it uniquely theirs. Students use their leadership portfolios to track their WIGs and celebrate their areas of growth. Since the portfolios are digital and accessible anywhere at anytime, students have the ability to continuously update them outside of the designated time during D.E.N.
Last year, some of our students identified a need to better support students in the creation of their Leadership Portfolios. Initially, MMS partnered with students from LIFT, who visited our advisory classes and shared their Leadership Portfolios with us. Then, the Academic Student LEAD Team set a WIG to help 80% of the students at MMS use their Leadership Portfolios. They created a lead measure to visit each advisory class and train them how to set up the “My Learning” section of their portfolios. Some advisories, in turn, helped train other classes. The LEAD team monitored their progress through regular accountability checks among their team and ultimately exceeded their goal (by reaching 95% of our student body).
