Right Motivation in Leaders
Stories of helpful leaders and generous people
Teacher Experience
A contemplative invitation for educators to reflect on before teaching.How can we embody kind-hearted motivation as leaders of our students? Reflect on those teachers who made a positive impact on your life, and consider the attitude and awareness you wish to bring to your students. Contemplate this reflection by Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Recite a simple aspiration prayer for their wellbeing, such as the Morning Aspiration from MWS (See resources).
Student Experience
A contemplative invitation for students to connect with this learning goal.Listen to stories about generous, kind, and wise leaders, then think about helpers in your own life who show these same qualities through their actions and words.
Understanding
Students will understand...Some people take a leadership role by offering help and generosity, whereas others lead through selfishness or mean behavior. The three antidotes—generosity, loving-kindness, and wisdom—help people become the kind of leaders who make life better for everyone.
Action
Students are able to...Analyze stories of helpful leaders and generous people by comparing characters who help versus those who are bossy, identifying the three antidotes (generosity, loving-kindness, wisdom) in story examples, and creating their own stories about kind leadership.
Content Knowledge
Students will know...Throughout history, there have been many different kinds of leaders. Some leaders help people and make life better, while others are selfish and cause problems. The best leaders practice what Buddhists call the three antidotes: generosity (sharing and giving to others), loving-kindness (caring about others’ happiness), and wisdom (making wise choices that help everyone). These three antidotes work like medicine to cure the problems that selfish leaders create. When leaders are generous, they share power and resources instead of keeping everything for themselves. When leaders show loving-kindness, they care about how their decisions affect other people. When leaders use wisdom, they think carefully about the consequences of their actions and choose what will benefit the greatest number of people. [Note: Antidotes are remedies to the three poisons: greed, anger, and ignorance, which are the focus for the Band C version of this LG]
Guiding Questions
Implementation Possibilities
Read biographical stories and folktales featuring leaders who exemplify generosity, loving-kindness, and wisdom, creating character comparison charts to contrast helpful versus harmful leadership qualities. Design storytelling activities where students create their own narratives about characters who practice the three antidotes in leadership situations. Establish a classroom “Leader Wall of Fame” featuring both fictional characters and real people who demonstrate generous, kind, and wise leadership. Practice identifying the three antidotes through story analysis discussions and creative extensions like drawing or acting out favorite examples. Connect stories to students’ own experiences by inviting them to share examples of generous, kind, or wise leaders they know personally.
Assessment Ideas
Evaluate students’ ability to identify the three antidotes in story characters through verbal discussions and written reflections. Assess their understanding through creative projects like drawing helpful leaders or writing simple stories that demonstrate generous, kind, and wise actions. Observe their application of story insights during peer interactions and classroom leadership opportunities.
