Simmons Middle School
Leadership Workshop
Join Simmons Middle School’s NJHS club for an engaging workshop with keynote speaker Tom Burton.
Director / DP / Editor
What do you get when you combine Simmons Middle School’s top youth with WeEmpower LLC’s charismatic keynote speaker Tom Burton? A day filled with collaboration, problem-solving, creativity, and learning!
One of my favorite lessons from Tom Burton is the power of complexity. After finding a partner, students alternate counting to three as fast as they can. When they mess up, a new twist is added: instead of saying “one,” they clap. For “two,” they stomp and for “three,” they spin around. Their attempts to “count” lead to laughable chaos. Tom’s lesson here is that when something is difficult, our initial reaction may be to simplify. But by raising the complexity, we can actually improve performance in the long run.
I had a blast filming this project in Chicago, Illinois. These kids are awesome and capable of incredible things!
One of my favorite lessons from Tom Burton is the power of complexity. After finding a partner, students alternate counting to three as fast as they can. When they mess up, a new twist is added: instead of saying “one,” they clap. For “two,” they stomp and for “three,” they spin around. Their attempts to “count” lead to laughable chaos. Tom’s lesson here is that when something is difficult, our initial reaction may be to simplify. But by raising the complexity, we can actually improve performance in the long run.
I had a blast filming this project in Chicago, Illinois. These kids are awesome and capable of incredible things!
WeEmpower LCC
Event Documentary (2:39)
Featuring:
Tom Burton
Simmons Middle School NHJS Club
Shot with Sony FX3
Edited with Adobe Premiere Pro
Video completed June, 2025
Event Documentary (2:39)
Featuring:
Tom Burton
Simmons Middle School NHJS Club
Shot with Sony FX3
Edited with Adobe Premiere Pro
Video completed June, 2025