As the dance showcase comes to a close and Project Week planning is beginning, I am starting to realise how much I’ve learnt about collaboration and taking initiative, especially on personal projects. Both experiences are provided by and supported by the school, but as grade 11 students, teachers are starting to encourage us to conduct more of the planning and organising at a level outside of ourselves. Specifically speaking on the showcase, although it wasn’t my first experience as a choreographer, I noticed a great difference in expectations and responsibilities when initiating an event as such. This isn’t only from staff, but also from other students. I can confidently say that I’ve learnt so much more about self-management and responsibility. This could not have been done without the collaboration of my co-leader, who truly pushed me to take leadership opportunities and in general encouraged me to step into uncomfortable situations. Of course, such close collaboration comes with ups and downs, most of the downs being opinionated disagreements. What’s interesting about my learning from this is that I need to become more vocal about my opinions, and be able to regulate how assertive or submissive I am. Overall, our collaborative effort allowed us to produce a more-than-satisfactory piece. I believe the skills I have taken away from my leadership experience has become useful in planning Project Week, as I now understand the importance of being more assertive and efficient. My group has chosen a very school organised activity, and are focusing more on gaining a useful experience from the trip itself.