As a teacher, you aim to help your students grow into confident, responsible and engaged learners—both in the classroom and beyond. Teaching leadership skills to elementary students can do just that! While some students may have natural leadership abilities, great leaders are often shaped through experiences, challenges and continuous learning.
Leadership can take many forms in the classroom, such as taking initiative, being responsible and supporting others. When students learn to lead, they develop social-emotional skills like problem-solving, collaboration and empathy—skills that will serve them well beyond the classroom.Teaching leadership to students can be challenging, but with the right tools, it can make learning fun and rewarding! Below, we will provide practical tips and elementary student leadership activities to help your class gain confidence, take ownership of their learning and become engaged leaders in the classroom and in life!
Why Leadership Development Should Start in the Classroom
Leadership isn’t just for the workplace. There are all types of leaders in the world: parents leading at home, teachers guiding classrooms and even students influencing and supporting their peers. Research suggests that leadership lessons for elementary students prepare them to navigate academic and social situations with confidence throughout life.
The Importance of Teaching Leadership Skills to Elementary Students
Elementary student leadership activities and lessons provide opportunities for nurturing creative problem-solving abilities and collaboration skills. Research indicates that embedding leadership opportunities into the classroom fosters qualities such as inclusivity, a passion for service, the courage to ask questions and the ability to listen effectively.
According to research from Murphy & Johnson as cited by Laila Sharifi, leadership development is particularly effective when introduced during childhood and adolescence, as behavioral traits, personality and skills are more adaptable at an early age. When given leadership opportunities, students are more likely to take initiative, participate actively in class discussions and develop a greater sense of responsibility.
The Impact of Elementary Leadership Activities on Classroom Participation
We’ve covered the impact of teaching leadership to students and their future, but how do elementary leadership activities affect classroom participation? You guessed it! Leadership activities create a more engaged, responsible and collaborative classroom environment. Here’s how:
1. Promoting Responsibility and Ownership
Assigning students leadership roles in the classroom fosters accountability. Roles like line leader, supplies manager or discussion moderator place responsibility directly on students. These roles encourage self-awareness as students recognize how their actions impact the class. By having designated leadership duties, students naturally learn to take ownership of their responsibilities and accountability for meeting expectations.
2. Building Confidence Through Leadership Opportunities
How does one become confident in something? Practice, practice, practice! Providing opportunities to practice leadership skills gives students a safe space to build responsibility, make decisions and positively influence their peers. As students step into leadership roles and navigate challenges, their self-assurance grows, leading to greater participation in class discussions and activities.
3. Encouraging Peer Collaboration
While great leaders must know how to speak up, they must also learn to listen and value diverse perspectives. Encouraging students to collaborate with their peers provides a platform to develop better active listening, delegation and teamwork skills.
During a group project or classroom discussion, you could assign rotating leadership roles, such as team captain, facilitator or timekeeper, providing opportunities for students to step into leadership roles while working together.
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Exploring Leadership Styles for Elementary Students
There isn’t just one way to be a great leader. Leadership comes in many forms and no single approach is the “right” way. By understanding different leadership styles, students can explore what works best for them and build confidence at the same time. We’ll share a few different approaches to leadership and tips for helping your students discover which one suits them best!
Different Leadership Styles in Action
No leader is exactly the same and that’s okay! There are multiple approaches to leadership, including:
- Collaborative Leaders – Excel in teamwork and ensure every voice is heard.
- Directive Leaders – Organized and strategic, they excel at planning and structuring activities.
- Supportive Leaders – Focus on encouragement, making others feel valued and included.
Helping Students Discover Their Leadership Style
Self-reflection is a powerful tool for identifying leadership strengths. Students can participate in elementary leadership activities such as:
- Proudest Leadership Moment – Have students reflect on a time when they successfully led a group or helped a peer.
- Core Values Reflection – Encourage students to think about what qualities are most important to them as leaders (e.g., honesty, kindness, problem-solving).
- What Are You Known For? – Ask students how their peers would describe them and their strengths.
Leadership Lessons for Elementary Students
We understand it can be daunting coming up with new and creative leadership lesson plans for elementary students that keep them engaged. That’s what we’re here for!
1. Interactive Leadership Lessons for Elementary Students
Stories of Great Literary Leaders – Read books about famous leaders or characters who demonstrate leadership qualities. Books like The Lorax by Dr. Seuss are a great example of characters who took initiative and made a difference.
After reading, engage your students in a discussion about the character’s leadership qualities. Ask them questions like, “What challenges did the character face?” and “How did they overcome those challenges using leadership skills?”
Team-Building Games – Incorporate fun games that get students moving and working together, like “Pass the Hula Hoop” or “The Human Knot.” These games encourage communication, collaboration and problem-solving. After the game, ask students to reflect on what leadership strategies they used and how those strategies contributed to the team’s success. Click here to read our blog and discover more group activities that foster teamwork in the classroom.
2. Long-Term Leadership Projects
Classroom Event Planning – Have students take ownership of planning a classroom celebration, reading challenge or another special event. Assign leadership roles such as coordinator, decorator or scheduler and encourage students to collaborate and manage different aspects of the project.
Creating a Classbook – Task students with organizing and compiling classwork into a professionally bound book, giving them a sense of responsibility and accomplishment. Not only does this help students develop leadership and organizational skills, but it also provides them with a tangible representation of their teamwork and effort. Tips on how to get started here!
3. Encourage Elementary Leadership Activities at Home
Household Leadership Roles – Encourage students to take the lead on simple tasks at home, such as clearing the dinner table, organizing a family game night or helping younger siblings with homework. These elementary student leadership activities build responsibility and initiative.
Observing Leadership in Action – Ask students to observe their parents or guardians and note ways they display leadership at home. Do their parents make schedules, delegate chores or help family members when needed? Have students reflect on these leadership actions and write about how they can apply similar leadership qualities in their own lives.
Elementary Student Leadership Activities
If you’re looking for additional activities to add to your leadership lesson plans for elementary students, we’ve got a few more for you!
Visual Leadership Activities
Allow your students to tap into their artistic abilities and get creative! We’ve come up with three elementary leadership activities that encourage students to express themselves while honing their leadership abilities.
- Creating a Vision Board – Have students create a vision board that represents their leadership goals. Afterward, allow students to present their vision boards to the class, explaining what leadership qualities they want to develop and how they plan to achieve them.
- Leadership Comic Strips – Ask students to create a short comic strip featuring a character who overcomes obstacles and leads others to success. This activity not only reinforces leadership traits but also helps students understand how leaders make decisions and inspire others.
- Team Banner – Divide the class into small groups and have each group create a team banner that represents their collective leadership values. They can write words or draw pictures that symbolize their strengths. Have each group present their banner to the class, explaining what each design element represents.
Classroom Jobs
As mentioned earlier, assigning students leadership roles in the classroom promotes responsibility, builds confidence and encourages collaboration. Here are a few roles you can assign your students to help them develop leadership skills while keeping the classroom running smoothly:
- Attendance Taker – Assign a student to keep track of daily attendance and report absences.
- Board Cleaner – A student responsible for erasing the board and keeping the classroom tidy.
- Hall Monitor – This student ensures that classmates walk quietly and safely in the hallways.
- Lunch Leader – The lunch leader helps organize the lunch line and ensures classmates follow cafeteria rules.
- Supply Manager – Assign a student to keep classroom supplies organized and distribute materials when needed.
Role-Playing Leadership Scenarios
Divide students into small groups and assign them different leadership scenarios. Have them perform short skits that showcase leadership in action. You can use these examples:
- The Team Captain Challenge – Students act as members of a sports team preparing for a big game. One student is assigned the role of team captain and must encourage their teammates, make a game plan and ensure everyone is involved.
- Helping a New Student – Assign students to role-play a situation where a new student joins the class. One student acts as the class helper, welcoming the new student, showing them around and making sure they feel included.
- Fire Drill Leadership – Students act out a scenario where they are the class leader during a fire drill. One student is assigned the role of the emergency leader and must ensure their classmates follow procedures, stay calm and line up quickly and safely.
Writing Prompts About Leadership
While nurturing your class’ leadership skills, you can also use this as an opportunity to enhance their writing abilities! We’ve found that the following writing prompts about leadership keep students engaged and eager to learn.
Writing Prompts to Reflect on Leadership Skills
Have your students work on self-awareness by asking them to reflect on their personal experiences with leadership.
- What does being a leader mean to you?
- Describe a time when you showed leadership in your classroom or at home.
- If you could lead your class in one activity, what would it be and why?
- What leadership qualities do you think are the most important and why?
- Write about a leader you admire and explain what makes them a good leader.
- What is one challenge leaders face, and how do they overcome it?
Imaginative Leadership Writing Prompts
Get those imaginations going with the following prompts:
- Imagine you are the leader of a new team. How would you make everyone feel included?
- Write a story about a character who becomes a great leader by helping others.
- If you could change one rule in the classroom as a leader, what would it be and how would it help your class?
- Create a superhero with leadership powers—what are their abilities, and how do they use them to help others?
- Write a letter to a younger student explaining what you have learned about being a leader.
Create a Leadership Classbook
As your students grow their leadership skills, a project that showcases all of their hard work over the year would be an amazing keepsake! Collect students’ work throughout the year to create a leadership-themed classbook that highlights their growth, celebrates their achievements and encourages them to take pride in their contributions.
Steps to Creating a Leadership Classbook
Step 1: Order Your Free Classbook Kit – Start by ordering your FREE classbook publishing kit, where you can choose a layout and format for your book. This makes it easy to organize your class’ work into a professionally bound keepsake.
Step 2: Collect Students’ Leadership Work – Throughout the year, gather writing pieces, illustrations and reflections from leadership lessons and activities. These materials will form the foundation of your classbook and showcase students’ growth.
Step 3: Assemble and Submit – Once your class’ pages are complete, arrange them in the chosen format, then submit the completed kit to have their hard work transformed into a beautifully bound hardcover book!
Step 4: Share and Celebrate! – Once your classbook arrives, share it with your students, their families and your school community. Parents can order copies and you can host a classroom reading event to celebrate your students’ achievements in leadership!
Benefits of a Leadership Classbook
- Motivates students to do their best work
- Makes teaching writing and leadership skills easy and fun
- Inspires creativity and hands-on learning
- Encourages teamwork and collaboration
- Builds a sense of pride and accomplishment
- Teaches perseverance and showcases student progress
- Provides a cherished keepsake for students and parents
Inspiring Leadership and Participation in the Classroom
Teaching leadership skills to elementary students is an investment in their future. Leadership activities, lessons and writing prompts not only develop leadership qualities but also increase classroom participation, build confidence and foster collaboration among students.
By implementing these strategies, you can create a classroom environment where students feel empowered to take on leadership roles and support one another. Start integrating these elementary student leadership activities today and consider creating a leadership-themed classbook to inspire the next generation of confident, capable leaders!
For FREE teaching resources including lesson plans, classbook topic ideas and more, visit our Teacher’s Lounge and order your FREE publishing kit!