POYMS: Transformational Leadership Seminar

The Department of Education (DEP.ED) heads and Principals of Tuba, Benguet and the officers of the PHILEX and OUTLYING YOUTH MOVERS SOCIETY (POYMS) attended a three day seminar at Banaue Mountain Resort, Nueva Viscaya on December 27, 28, 29 conducted by Ms. Lorna Halcon. This seminar has been partnered with the Community Relations (COMREL) Department-Philex Mining Corporation.

            The said groups assembled at Magsaysay, Baguio City at 7:00 in the morning. We were able to leave Baguio at about 9:00 in the morning, the beautiful sceneries and the nature when we were travelling was breathe taking. We arrived at the Resort at about 12:30pm, we went to our designated rooms to rest and prepare ourselves for the Opening Program in the afternoon. At about 3:00 pm, all of us were gathered at the Social Hall of the resort. The program begins with an Opening Prayer, singing of Ang Bayan ko and an Opening Remarks by Ma’am Remy, the organizer of the seminar and an ALS teacher. After the Opening Remarks the DEP.Ed Heads shared their updates and concerns to the group.

            After the updates and concerns, Ms. Lorna Halcon already arrived to speak and share about Transformational Leadership. Before starting she shared two reflective sayings “Not anyone of us is called to be a teacher. Few are chosen” and “We choose to be teachers so we should embrace the work.”  As her strategy, she used video presentation, background music and examples that was based on her life experiences, this strategy was very remarkable and striking.  The topics that Ma’am Lorna discussed was about How Educators Transform Life of an Individual, we Learned the value of compliment and supplement to make an institution better and stronger; next was about Interpersonal Effectiveness, we were able to embrace our weaknesses and make it as our strength and that we should not be afraid of the difficulties, impossibilities and loses that is coming to us; and the last was about the 10/90 Principle, it is compared on a traffic light specifically the red light that we cannot control it but we can control the reaction, meaning in life we cannot control the 10% of what is happening and the 90% of it will always depends on us that “It is not how it was done, but, It is about What can still be done” and sometimes everyone started at the same time but sometimes everyone is ending differently from each other. She ended the first day of the seminar with a topic about the difference between a MAN and a WOMEN, after this discussion we were able to understand and reflect the difference and the importance of respect and love from each other. The First day of the seminar ended at 9:00 in the evening followed by a dance and singing program until 11:30 in the evening.

            It was December 28, 2013, the second day of the seminar. Everyone prepared for this day especially the Dep.Ed heads and principals. The whole day activity was on making a  student hand books for their institutions. At about 4:00 in the afternoon, the specific school heads shared their appreciation, gratitude and thankfulness to the Organizer of the seminar, to the Owner of the Banaue Resort, to the guest speaker Ma’am Lorna Halcon and to the Community Relations (COMREL) Department- Philex Mining Corporation for sponsoring the three-day seminar. The second day seminar ended with a speech from the COMREL representative and Supervisor Ma’am Janice Terso, she sealed the starting of the partnership of Philex and the Dep.Ed, the second day seminar ended at about 7:00 in the evening followed by a dance and singing program by the Dep.Ed heads and Principals till 11:30 in the evening.

            December 29, 2013 was our last day and the closing program of the three day seminar, our stay in the resort was very relaxing and full of learning. At about 8:00 in the morning the COMREL head Mr. Feliciano N. Diso Jr. went to the venue to share his insights about Education and about Educating the youth and share how thankful he is seeing the Heads of each institutions learn from each other and got better from the three-day seminar, He mentioned that there will be more seminars and trainings for them to develop their capacities as a leader of their own institutions. The organizers of the seminar handed him a token and certificates as a sign of gratitude for approving all activities that helped develop their students, their schools and their teachers. The third day ended with a speech from Ma’am Janice Terso to Mr. Feliciano N. Diso Jr. followed by group pictures. The three day seminar was all about accepting the Challenge and Complain Never! Because Life is Unpredictable.

            There is always one person who is capable to set his own growth: It is YOU! YOUR own SELF!

POYMS: Lead from where you sit! A Self-Leadership Seminar

            “I am Good!, I am Awesome!, I can do Great things!” was the reflective quote presented to the officers of the PHILEX and OUTLYING YOUTH MOVERS SOCIETY (POYMS) during the Self-Leadership Seminar conducted by Ms. Grace C. Canave of the Inkblots on October 26, 2013 at Mt. Tepeyac Residences, Leonardwood, Baguio City.

POYMS officers at the function hall

            The seminar started with an opening prayer followed by Pambansang Awit and a Getting to Know activity the first to introduce herself was of our guest speaker Ms. Grace “Gratchy” C. Canave the so called “feel-good facilitator” followed by the self-introduction of the POYMS officers. After getting to know each other, Ma’am Gratchy presented the Objectives of the seminar which are the following: (1) Understand at a deeper level ones’ responsibility to oneself. (2) Identify Clues and Myths about Leadership. (3) Understand the elements of Self-Leadership. (4) Asses individual self-leadership tendencies and create a personal transformation plan.

            To attain the Objectives of the day seminar she prepared a power point presentation and handouts as her visual aid to explain and define Leadership in many ways, beside this she also prepared different kinds of activities for us which are the following. All of this is very helpful for our development as youth leaders.

·         KINDERGARDEN ACTIVITY- In this activity we were able to reflect and return to our childhood memories, we were able to go back to the simple things that made us happy during childhood days and we were able to realize that it is where everything starts from where we are today.

·         PAINT ME ACTIVITY- In this activity we were able to learn how to adopt changes in a small span of time, we were also able to value more the Spirit of helping each other to create a masterpiece, and we were able to reflect that everybody in the group is important and that each one can contribute something even each person has its’ own vision, mission, principle and perspective.

·         MY IDOL- In this activity we were able to know and appreciate each ones’ life idol sharing the best qualities and why this idol have been a motivator in their lives. This activity has been knowledgeable and very helpful to us.

Finally, the last activity was Self-Assessment the purpose of this was to help us understand self-leadership concepts and to assess our self-leadership tendencies. There are self-leadership questionnaires that helped us to assess ourselves and calculated it by adding it up through the Self-leadership dimensions (Personal Goal Setting, Mental Practice, Designing Natural Rewards, Self-Monitoring, Self-Reinforcement, and Cueing Strategies). Through this activity we were able to see our strength and make it stronger and our weakness to help us change it for the better. This activity has been shared to our co-leaders making a promise to us “I am with you through the journey of LEADERSHIP”.

The seminar ended with a song “I can” reminding us that if we believe we can, we can! And As long as we believe that we are doing something meaningful, we can go forward and that we can already confidently say that “I am Good!, I am Awesome!, I can do Great things!”

POYMS: Training on FACILITATION TECHNIQUES

The PHILEX and OUTLYING YOUTH MOVERS SOCIETY (POYMS) officers attended a two day training on Facilitation Techniques conducted by Ms.Grace “Gratchy” C. Canave, MSPM of Inkblots at Mt. Tepeyac Residences, Leonardwood, Baguo City on November 22 and 23, 2013.

POYMS Officers at the Social Hall busy for the given task.

Ma'am Grace "Gratchy" Canave of Inkblots. Our super awesome facilitator.

            The Objectives of the training was given to start the day, the Objectives are the following (1) Know and Understand the role and functions of the facilitator in order to help participants learn how to work together by providing  the structure (process), direction and support for an activity. (2) Identify the qualities of a good facilitator. (3) Be introduced in the basic tips and techniques in facilitation. (4) Apply appropriate group dynamics activities and actual activity implementation. And (5) Understand how to handle problem of participants. Ma’am Gratchy supported her Objectives by preparing a power point presentation, handouts and activities.

            In this training, Five Modules have been discussed and presented

·         MODULE 1: Facilitation in a Nutshell

 -with Module 1, we were able to know and understand more who is a facilitator and what facilitation is.

·          MODULE 2: Roles and Functions of the Facilitator

-with Module 2, we were able to see the different functions of a Training program the Preparation, Orientation/Task Direction, Actual training and Integration. We were also able to see the Different Training Styles and Qualities of a Good Facilitator.

·         MODULE 3: Facilitating Tips and Techniques

-with Module 3, we were able to know the different techniques and tips that can be used in facilitating like How to structure a Presentation, How to Develop a presence, Tips in Facilitating a Group, Making of Checklist when Implementing activities, and Kinds of Training Aids.

·         MODULE 4: Managing Behavior and Attitudes

-with Module 4, we were able to know more about behaviors and attitude that we need to understand when handling participants and understand how to EDUCARE which means to draw from within.

·         MODULE 5: Practicum and Clinic-ing

-with Module 5, we were given specific topics to discussed and perform, following all the things that was being discussed in the training. This served as the summary of our training, we were able to perform well than what we do before. In this Practicum we have been evaluated by Ma’am Gratchy with her team and by our group mates, they have identified what went well and what went wrong during the practicum proper.

discussions

warm-up

Practicum/ Clinic-ing

            Overall, the two day training had been very successful! We have seen big changes from ourselves and from our co-leaders. This training had been very effective to all of us and surely we will use all of this through our journey in developing the youth, touching lives and helping other people to bring the leader inside them. The training ended with a poem made by Ma’am Gratchy entitled “The Language of Training”.

The Language of Training

To train is to touch the lives of many

And to help you learn life’s lessons

But to train well is to make a difference

In all the lives you touch.

To train is to be a teacher, a friend, an adviser,

A coach, and a mentor;

To be a supporter, a motivator, and a leader.

But to train well is to be all of these,

Yet not lose sight of who you are.

You share part of yourself

With those whose lives you have touched.

To train is to be loving, strong, giving

And patient to all who rely on you;

To encourage and praise.

But to train well is to believe

That someone else can.

Those who train well recognize that

There will always be

More to learn in life’s journey,

And they never hesitate to strive to learn it.

You become empowered, involved, and engaged.

And you shall speak the language

Any tongue can utter;

You leave more than what they can remember.

You leave behind a legacy

‘Cause you have trained well.