Leading with Connection Instructional Guide – High School (Grades 9–12): Teacher & Parent Lesson Plans for Relationships, Teamwork & Leadership

What Is the Leading with Connection Instructional Guide for High School?

The Leading with Connection: Developing Real-World Communication and Leadership Skills High School Instructional Guide is a 327-page downloadable, printable teacher and parent guide from Future Ready Education. It’s the teaching companion to the Leading with Connection High School Workbook, with lesson plans for all three units: Building Healthy Relationships, Teamwork & Collaboration, and Communication & Leadership. Designed for students in grades 9–12 (ages 14–18), the guide covers 16 lessons and 83 activities, each with learning objectives, facilitation guidance, discussion prompts and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) supports. Each unit has its own pre-assessment and post-assessment, so you can measure growth in every skill area. The guide builds the durable skills in your district’s Portrait of a Graduate.

Why Do Teachers and Parents Choose This Instructional Guide?

• Three units in one guide: complete lesson plans for Healthy Relationships, Teamwork & Collaboration and Communication & Leadership
• Substantial content: 327 pages, 16 lessons and 83 activities
• Matches the student workbook: follows the Leading with Connection High School Workbook activity by activity
• Fits a class period: each lesson takes about 30–40 minutes and can be expanded with discussion, role play or projects
• Career-connected: professional scenarios, presentation preparation, feedback skills and a “Would You Hire This Person?” challenge
• Built for every learner: UDL guidance with flexible options for engagement, representation and expression
• Measurable growth: a pre-assessment and post-assessment for each unit
• No prep needed: printable lessons ready for classrooms, leadership courses, advisory, counseling or home
• Instant access: a downloadable, printable PDF you can reuse every year

How Does This Guide Build Portrait of a Graduate Competencies?

This guide builds durable, future-ready skills, the transferable abilities students carry into college, careers and their communities:

• Communication (COM): speaking with purpose, respectful disagreement, presentation skills and repair statements
• Collaboration (COL): collaboration styles, group dynamics, group decisions and real-world teamwork
• Empathy (EMP): perspective-taking, intent vs. impact and empathy under pressure
• Agency (AGY): leadership identity, taking initiative and setting boundaries
• Citizenship (CIT): upstander behavior, integrity, community norms and digital leadership
• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving (CT): case studies, simulations and real-life problem solving
• Career Readiness (CAR): professional collaboration, feedback skills and hiring scenarios
• Personal Responsibility & Work Ethic (PRW): accountability, repair after conflict and growth plans
• Adaptability (ADP): staying regulated during conflict and growing from feedback
• Creativity (CRE): designing relationship frameworks and creative solutions in group challenges
• Finances (FIN): budget-style team decisions in the fundraiser simulation

What Lessons Are Included in the Leading with Connection High School Guide?

Unit 1: Building Healthy Relationships

Includes a pre-assessment, a post-assessment and resources.

1. The Architecture of Healthy Relationships (6 activities)
2. Boundaries, Consent & Power (5 activities)
3. Empathy, Influence & Impact (4 activities)
4. Conflict & Repair (7 activities)
5. Choice, Integrity & Community (5 activities)

Unit 2: Teamwork & Collaboration

Includes a pre-assessment, a post-assessment and resources.

6. Real-World Empathy (6 activities)
7. Your Collaboration Identity (5 activities)
8. Making Decisions in Groups (5 activities)
9. Navigating Conflict (6 activities)
10. Collaboration in the Real World (6 activities)

Unit 3: Communication & Leadership

Includes a pre-assessment, a post-assessment and resources.

11. Leadership Identity (5 activities)
12. Speaking with Purpose (5 activities)
13. Perspective & Awareness (4 activities)
14. Take Initiative (5 activities)
15. Growing from Feedback (5 activities)
16. Digital Leadership (4 activities)

Who Is This Instructional Guide For?

High school teachers, leadership and student council advisors, advisory leaders, school counselors, health educators, college and career readiness instructors, homeschool families and parents. It’s designed for classrooms, leadership courses, advisory and counseling programs, peer mentoring, CTE, and Portrait of a Graduate initiatives.

What Comes in the Leading with Connection Instructional Guide?

• Grade level: Grades 9–12 (ages 14–18)
• Format: Digital download (printable PDF)
• Length: 327 pages
• For: teachers and parents, with student activities included
• Includes: 3 units, 16 lessons, 83 activities, a pre-assessment and post-assessment for each unit, facilitation guidance, UDL supports and resources
• Companion to: Leading with Connection: Developing Real-World Communication and Leadership Skills High School Workbook
• Publisher: Future Ready Education, an IB Source company
• SKU: LWCHSIG

Frequently Asked Questions About the Leading with Connection Instructional Guide

What does the Leading with Connection Instructional Guide cover?

It covers three complete units in 16 lessons: Building Healthy Relationships (relationship foundations, boundaries and consent, empathy and influence, conflict and repair, and integrity), Teamwork & Collaboration (empathy, collaboration identity, group decisions, conflict and real-world teamwork) and Communication & Leadership (leadership identity, purposeful speaking, perspective, initiative, feedback and digital leadership).

How does this guide work with the student workbook?

It follows the Leading with Connection High School Workbook activity by activity. Students complete the activities in the workbook while you teach from the guide’s lesson plans, facilitation notes and assessments.

How long does each lesson take?

Each lesson takes about 30–40 minutes and can be expanded with discussion, role play, projects or real-world extensions.

Can I use it for a leadership class or student council?

Yes. The Communication & Leadership unit covers leadership identity, speaking with purpose, taking initiative, growing from feedback and digital leadership, which makes it a strong fit for leadership classes, student council and peer mentoring.

Can I teach just one unit?

Yes. Each unit has its own pre-assessment, post-assessment and resources, so you can teach the units in any order or focus on the one your students need most.

Is it aligned with Universal Design for Learning?

Yes. Each unit includes UDL guidance for multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression.

Can parents and homeschool families use this guide?

Yes. It’s written for both teachers and parents, which makes it a good fit for homeschool and at-home learning.

What are future-ready skills?

Future-ready skills, also called durable skills, are lasting, transferable abilities like communication, collaboration, critical thinking and adaptability. Students use them across subjects, careers and life.