03 — Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Rhythms
Rhythm is what makes a leadership classroom feel like a team. The same beats
every day, week, and month make it safe to do hard things.
The Daily 5 (every class, ~52 minutes)
| # | Block | Time | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greet & Do-Now | 5 min | Door greeting + a written prompt in journal |
| 2 | Opening Circle | 5 min | One-word check-in OR "Roses & Thorns" |
| 3 | Mini-Lesson | 10–15 | Teacher input: concept, model, frame |
| 4 | Practice / Lab | 20–25 | Students do the leadership skill |
| 5 | Close & Reflect | 5 min | Written exit ticket + one-line shout-out |
Notes
- Times shift, but all five blocks happen every day.
- The opening circle is non-negotiable even on test/showcase days — it can be
60 seconds.
- The close is the most important block. Cut from the mini-lesson, never the close.
The Weekly 4 (every week, M–F)
| Day | Anchor | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Set the Week — vision + goal | Connect the week's big idea to students' lives |
| Tue | Skill Lab — direct practice | Heavy doing, low risk |
| Wed | Stretch — apply in new context | Transfer practice; vocabulary deepens |
| Thu | Real Stakes — public-ish work | Present to a partner class, peer, or stakeholder |
| Fri | Circle + Showcase | Closing circle, peer shout-outs, Leader of the Week, portfolio update |
Friday Circle Protocol (15–20 min)
- Open with talking piece. Prompt: "One word for the week."
- Round 1: "A win this week — yours or someone else's."
- Round 2: "Something I'm working on."
- Round 3 (optional, by Week 4+): "Feedback I want to offer or receive."
- Close: "One commitment for next week."
- Shout-outs board — students write peer shout-outs on stickies before they
leave.
Friday Showcase
- A different student or pair each week (rotating roster) shares their portfolio
artifact for 3 minutes. By Week 20 every student has presented twice.
The Monthly 3 (every month)
| Beat | What happens |
|---|---|
| Guest Leader (1× / mo) | A community leader (alum, business owner, public servant, coach) visits for 30 min. Students prep 3 questions in advance, write a thank-you note within 48 hours. |
| Service Sprint (1× / mo) | A 1–2 hour service action (campus clean-up, peer-tutoring shift, blood drive support, fundraiser, voter-reg table). Builds the muscle for the Unit-4 capstone. |
| Goal Review (1× / mo) | Each student reviews their RLP self-rating, updates their portfolio goal, and conferences with the teacher (5 min, scheduled in rotation). |
Suggested Calendar
- Month 1 (Wks 1–4): Guest = alum or current 12th grader. Service = campus.
Goal review = first 1:1.
- Month 2 (Wks 5–9): Guest = local nonprofit. Service = peer tutoring.
Goal review = mid-semester.
- Month 3 (Wks 10–14): Guest = elected official or public servant. Service =
community event support. Goal review = capstone proposal.
- Month 4 (Wks 15–18): Guest = capstone partner. Service = capstone execution.
Goal review = capstone check-in.
- Month 5 (Wks 19–20): Guest = past Leadership graduate. Service = pay-it-forward
to incoming class. Goal review = portfolio defense.
Quarterly Rituals
- End of Q1 (Week 5): "Whole-class debrief" — students grade the class on
the norms. Re-commit.
- End of Q2 (Week 10): Mid-semester portfolio checkpoint + parent/guardian
share-out (email or 5-minute video).
- End of Q3 (Week 15): Capstone proposal pitch night.
- End of Q4 (Weeks 19–20): Week 19 Public Showcase; Week 20 portfolio defense + Leadership Letter ceremony.
Door / Wall Rotations
- Monday: Update "This Week's Why" poster (essential question).
- Wednesday: Refresh "Leader of the Week" board.
- Friday: Add new shout-outs; archive last week's reflections to portfolio.
A Sample Week-in-the-Life (Week 7, Communication & Voice)
| Day | Do-Now | Circle | Mini | Lab | Close |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | "When did someone really listen to you?" | One word check-in | What is voice? 3 anchors: clarity, evidence, audience | Pair: 60-sec story swap | Exit: "My voice tends to ___" |
| Tue | Watch 90-sec TED clip, note 1 craft move | Roses/thorns | Storytelling arc (hook–turn–truth) | Draft 3-min "This I Believe" outline | Exit: 1 sentence opening line |
| Wed | Rewrite your opening line 3 ways | One-word | Vocal craft: pace, pause, volume | Rehearse in trios with feedback cards | Exit: "What I'll change…" |
| Thu | Read partner's outline, leave 2 stickies | Check-in | Mock audience: how to read a room | Deliver to partner-class peers | Exit: "Feedback I got…" |
| Fri | Final tweaks | Friday Circle + Showcase | — | Live delivery + peer rubric | Portfolio upload + Leadership Letter draft |
When the Rhythm Breaks (Substitutes, Assemblies, Crisis Days)
- Substitute: every weekly file has a
Sub Planblock. Default = Circle + silent
journal + read-aloud chapter from chosen text.
- Short period: keep Greet, Circle, Close. Drop the lab.
- Crisis or community tragedy: open with circle, name the moment, offer the pass
rule, give students agency in how to spend the period. Document and notify
counselor.