Here at St. Louis High School, there are many fun extracurriculars that one can take part in. Some include art, weight lifting, woodshop and many more. Even though each of them has those names, students aren’t just working with wood or lifting weights. For example, in weight lifting students can run on a treadmill, do push ups, do jumping jacks, and so much more.
Woodshop is also just a name and in the class students don’t just work with wood. The woodshop teacher, Mr. Maxwell likes to help his students attempt to understand life and how to be a good team member. In fact, Maxwell has the students reading a book called Leadership and Self Deception, which can help students learn better ways to handle problems and to see a lot of what they have done or said in the past differently.
A notable moment of leadership shown in the workshop was when a student decided to read out loud to another student who was in another room. Eventually, other students joined in on listening to the reading because they enjoyed hearing someone read to them. The student reading the book was junior Javier Anger.
Anger said that he feels really thankful that he got to read a good book with an important message. “I was surprised to be honest that so many students joined in, but I felt like it was a good thing that happened,” Anger said. He now catches himself trying to see people as people more and not as problems. Even when he is upset, he reminds himself about self deception.
One of the students who joined in on the reading was sophomore Merick Bartlett who said he feels as if the book is one that is worthwhile to show good leadership tendencies. “I love that Javier read because it helped me understand it more,” said Bartlett. From reading the book, Bartlett says that he has learned how to be a better leader and has learned to see a lot of things in his life more clearly.
Another student who joined in on the reading was junior Benjamin Godfrey, who said he really likes the book so far and he thinks it’s definitely helped him become a better leader. “I loved Javier reading to us. I really enjoyed it,” said Godfrey. The book has definitely changed his perspective on certain things that happen in the woodshop, and it helps him see through other people’s eyes.”
Many students who read this book have been improving their leadership skills and are learning how to communicate better with others. This is a really good book for teaching people about leadership as well as improving communications and relationships.
