4.03 Teacher Responsibilities & Activity Proposals
Understand the teacher's role in supporting student leadership, selecting student leaders, and approving leadership activities.
The Teacher's Role
While LIA is designed to be student-led, teachers play a critical role in supporting and developing student leaders.
As an LIA teacher, you are responsible for creating opportunities for students to lead while providing guidance, support, and accountability.
Your goal is not to do the leadership work for students, but rather to coach and mentor them as they develop leadership skills.
Selecting Student Leaders
The teacher is responsible for ensuring that a Class Presidency is established.
Student leaders may either be selected by the teacher or elected by the students, depending on the needs of the classroom.
Some teachers choose student leaders at the end of the school year so they can begin preparing for their leadership roles before the next year begins.
Once the presidency is established, teachers should assign students to leadership committees and ensure that committees remain balanced and productive.
Supporting Leadership Committees
Leadership committees should meet regularly and have clear responsibilities.
Teachers should monitor committee progress, provide support when needed, and ensure students remain focused on their goals and initiatives.
As programs grow, teachers may choose to create additional committees if existing committees become too large or difficult to manage.
Activity Proposal Form
Before carrying out any activity, event, or initiative, students should complete an Activity Proposal Form and receive teacher approval.
The proposal process helps students think through their plans, communicate their goals, and practice responsible leadership.
Reviewing and approving proposals is an important part of helping students develop planning and decision-making skills.
Leadership Resources
For additional information about leadership committees, presidency responsibilities, and activity planning, please review the LIA Program Manual and Activity Proposal Form.
How can you balance giving students ownership of leadership activities while still providing the guidance and accountability they need to be successful?