1. Leaders in the Making Teamwork – Lesson 12 Adaptability

2. Think About It... The art of life lies in the constant readjustment to our surroundings. Kakuzo Okakura

3. Review: We’ve studied five different character traits: intentional, selfless, collaboration, communication, and enthusiasm. In a short essay, describe the relationship between character, teamwork and leadership. Then imagine an incident or setting that might occur. Imagine a person in the setting. Then, using at least three of the five character traits listed above, in another essay, describe how they might act in that situation.

4. The Adaptable Person... The adaptable person is creative. The adaptable person is teachable. The adaptable person thinks of others first. The adaptable person welcomes all members to the team.

5. I woke up one day in Michigan to find that my dad had taken a job in Texas. It was a short term job. He headed to Texas to work for six months. When the end of three months came, my mom took us out there to visit for a week. Texas was hot and dry. After our visit we came home to Michigan. My dad stayed in Texas for another three months. I expected my dad to return to Michigan at the end of his six months. It didn’t happen that way. Instead of my dad coming back to live in Michigan, we were all moving to Texas. By the time he arrived, we had sold the house and furniture and said our goodbyes. We headed off to Texas. A Note from Michelle...

6. It took us four days of driving to get there. We arrived in Texas in mid-August, just in time to register for a new school. The school we went to was really different from the schools we had been to in Michigan. Some of the teachers we had in Texas didn’t even finish their schooling. We ended up staying in Texas for one year. It was a hard year, but I knew that it was good for my dad. I also knew that we all needed to be together, even if that being together meant we didn’t live in Michigan. After our year was up we ended up back in Michigan. I started a new school again. One thing I’ve learned about change. You can’t fight it. Accept it and look for the good in it. Michelle Wireman Continued...

7. What do you think? 1.Was Michelle adaptable? 2.What traits of being adaptable did Michelle display? 3.Did Michelle’s dad exhibit the traits of being adaptable? 4.What sort of attitude did Michelle display? 5.How does attitude affect character? 6.How did Michelle’s attitude affect her response to change?

8. It’s Raining Briefing: In this easy activity, be attentive to the part you play on the team. Also consider what a team can do when it works together. In this activity you will be recreating the sound of the rain. Activity: Misty Rain - Everyone should stand in a circle. The leader will start off by rubbing his/her hands together. The person to the right of the leader then joins in, and then the next person, on around the circle until everyone is rubbing their hands together. Gentle Rain – As everyone keeps rubbing their hands the leader switches to finger snapping, and this motion is passed around the circle until everyone is snapping their hands. Rain – The finger snapping moves to the leader starting hands slapping thighs and this continues on around the circle. Heavy Rain – Add foot stomping to the thigh slapping. As the storm passes, follow the sequence back down, until the very last person is rubbing their hands together.

9. Sky Ball Briefing: You will need a wide open space with some ceiling height for this activity. A good place would be outside or in the gym. You will need a couple of well- inflated beach balls to play. The group should spread out on the court or field. Activity: The goal is to keep the ball off the ground and up in the air while accumulating as many hits as possible. A good goal would be at least thirty hits. Players cannot hit the ball twice in succession. No holding is allowed. Go for it! Then try to beat your record. With a whole class you may want to use two or more balls and/or teams. An advanced Sky Ball would have you numbering off players and playing by number without missing a person or letting the ball hit the ground.

10. What Did You Think? 1. What happened in the two activities? 2. What was the focus for both activities? 3. How does the definition of adaptable fit into these two games? 4. Was it hard for you to focus on the team and not do what you wanted to do? 5. In the game Sky Ball, how did you feel about helping the team beat the last record? 6. How could you be a better team player? 7. What do you do well as a team player? 8. How can you apply being adaptable to your family, in the classroom, or on a sports team?

11. Journal #15 Date your journal. The adaptable person doesn’t spend time wandering around wondering what to do. The adaptable person is a “can-do” person. When difficulties arise they creatively find a solution. They make decisions that benefit the team, and they are willing to learn from others. Team members with more knowledge or skill than they have are not a threat. Write about someone you would consider adaptable. How do they handle change? What character traits do they have that make them adaptable? What about yourself – are you adaptable? How have you had to adapt? How do you handle change? What character traits do you exhibit when change occurs?

12. Ponder... Act the way you’d like to be and soon you’ll be the way you act. George W. Crane