A Scholar-Leader Paradigm:

Growing the Confidence to Think

Beyond the Box!

Jane Jordan Jaeger, NBCTM.Ed. Psych./M.Ed.Adm.

e-mail:  jjaeger@mthcs.org

More than fifty years ago....

Add photo her Miami, etc.

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”

(Except, perhaps it is too late to be a “Chuck’s Chick.”)

This quote by novelist George Eliot (1819-1880), would not have manifest itself in our lives without the confidence instilled in us to

think beyond the box!

This transformative change of evolving into what you might

have been is a process.

This process of growth through change brought continued confidence as we learned with &

from each other.

The Scholar-Leader “gift that keeps on giving”

is the confidence to be what we“might have been.”

ENFP vs. INTJ Originally not in

Honors Program until after the Scholar-Leader Class.

I had never taken a swim lesson, when I began life-guarding after becoming a Scholar-Leader.

Never acted, but in movie, LittleMan Tate, filmed @Miami

Never taken a computer class, but learned HTML & in Cybergrrl book.

Didn’t teach group fitness until the age of 28.

Masters in Ed. Psych./ Special ed. certification

Honorary Buckeye (Rose Bowl)

Teacher on Loan Program, working with the State of Ohio for education (My future 10-year dream during the Scholar-Leader class was to be a lobbyist equalizing public education.)

Principal’s License (Masters in Ed. Admin.)

My student teacher is 48 yrs. old.

Throughout the retreat, the class, and the leadership trip, we learned strategies to

embrace change.

After these transformative lessons, each of us probably could have

written the book, WHO MOVED MY CHEESE?

“Imagining myself enjoying new cheese

before I find it, leads me to it.” “Movement in a new direction helps

you find new cheese.”

“When you see that you can find and enjoy new cheese, you change

course.” “If you don’t change you can become

extinct.”

To think beyond the box, we learned that things may not be

as they appear:

Learning to think that way give us confidence & skills to problem-solve

any obstacles we encounter.

“No one can make you feel inferior

without your permission.”

This quote by Eleanor Roosevelt epitomizes the

responsibility for strength and confidence the Scholar-

Leader transformation imparts on us.

She also wrote the following which speaks to allowing the heart to lead:

“Many people will walk in & out of your life, But only true friends will

leave footprints in your heart.”

To handle yourself, use your head;To handle others, use your heart.

Anger is only one letter short of danger.If someone betrays you once, it is his fault;

If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.Great minds discuss ideas;

Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.

He who loses money, loses much;He, who loses a friend, loses much more;

He, who loses faith, loses all.

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature,

But beautiful old people are works of art.

Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself...

We started our group.... Our circle of friends....And like that circle... There is no beginning or end... Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift.

Perhaps this is why Eleanor Roosevelt also said, “Never go anywhere without your gang.”

In Today’s transient society, this is nearly impossible to do literally. After Masters degrees, MBA’s, JD’s, & PhD’s, our “BFF’s” are spread throughout the country. Fortunately, we can manage to “go everywhere with our gang,” if not literallyat least figuratively.

“Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

(This is one of my favorite “retweets” from my Twitter webpage.)

This might be the first time some of us have met, yet our Miami experience, specifically, our Scholar-

Leader transformative endeavors, facilitate us being “bound as one” in our quest to continue exercising

the confidence to think beyond the box!

Becoming part of each other’s lives, we’ve learned from & with each other to lead responsibly using our hearts & minds. I was a Scholar-Leader

before students used the Internet. Now it’s a tool we use to not only

reconnect, but to build & share ideas.