Highland Home School faculty members will participate in a book study of Dr. Stephen Covey's The Leader in Me. The Leader in Me is FranklinCovey’s whole school transformation process. It teaches 21st century leadership and life skills to students and creates a culture of student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader (FranklinCovey, 2016).
Dr. Covey explains for sequential, principle-based steps that can help guide the effort of implementing a leadership theme in a school.
What are the four steps Dr. Covey recommends to facilitate change?
What are the benefits of a culture that has high trust?
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the current trust level in our building?
The “Pyramid of Influence” shows teaching at the top, and stresses that modeling and relating need to be strong for teaching to me most effective. Do you agree? Why?
How does individual and group behavior change when there is clear, unified purpose?
What step is most often overlooked when initiating change?
What is meant by “Teachers are a school’s greatest asset, which also make them the greatest threat”?
How is leadership defined in Chapter 8?
If you were empowered to teach using your own unique gifts and talents, what would be different? Would you be inspired? Would your passion for your profession be renewed?
Consider a past program that we no longer use. Since you just read about sustaining change, what was it about how that program was initiated that made it unsustainable?
Leadership is defined as "communicating a person's worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it in themselves." There are two kinds of leaders: Leaders of Self and Leaders of Others. Leaders of Self lead their own lives, are self-reliant and in charge of their choices, actions, and destinies. They are forward thinkers and have plans, clear purposes, and the discipline to reach them. Leaders of Others share knowledge or talents, inspire others, are role models, and can guide groups to accomplish a goal. The ultimate end in mind is to develop students with the skills to lead their own lives, work efficiently with others, and make meaningful contributions throughout their own lives wherever they go.
It is important to recognize that there are two types of leaders, because leaders of self may not make a positive contribution to a goal if they are too single-minded about themselves.
Consider a past program that we no longer use. Since you just read about sustaining change, what was it about how that program was initiated that made it unsustainable?
This may not be an actual "program" but at one point, teachers in Crenshaw County were told not to assign a grade of zero for any student. The idea behind the "no zeros" was not a bad one. Basically, teachers were encouraged to not allow a student to skip assignments. I agree with this sentiment, as the students are children who do not have the right to simply "just take a zero" as they tend to say. Even though the initiative came from the correct thought process, it did not work. Teachers were burdened with giving apathetic students copy after copy of the same assignment while the student continually refused to complete it. Also, the CCBOE policy states that students with unexcused absences are not allowed to complete assignments that they missed.
The "no zero" policy started for good reason, but it was "too good to be true." There are unfortunately some instances where students earn a 0 grade. Hopefully that is few and far between, but it isn't realistic to say that teachers can never assign a zero
Amen, Sister! I remember that one and the workload/chaos that ensued. The intention was good, but it was not thought out to the end. As a result it was very frustrating for teachers, parents, and students alike.
I was never a part of a system with a “no zero” policy but I recall a few friends who tried it. Like you, I think the ideology behind the policy was good; it just wasn’t something that would work. I remember hearing about the frustrations from my friends who taught high school in schools with this policy. The biggest complaint was that it had no effect on the students who were failing but seemed to be hurting the work ethic of the students who, in the past, would do what needed to be done to avoid a zero. It seemed to give the students an “out” when they didn’t feel like doing their work.
I remember hearing about the "no zero" policy during my time at Highland doing college observation hours. When it had been fully explained I could not believe that it was a policy. To be honest, I did not think it was a good policy, it allowed those that did not care or try to still pass while the ones working to make the high grades passed as well. All it was doing from what I could see is make students think that doing the least was enough to get by not only in school but life.
What is meant by “Teachers are a school’s greatest asset, which also make them the greatest threat”? This statement is so true! A united staff is so important to the implementation of any program. If everyone is on board and is backing a new program, the success rate will be very high; however, if it is viewed as “something else we have to do”, it is doomed. Our attitudes can make or break a program, which is what makes us the greatest asset or the greatest threat.
Amen! I totally agree that we as teachers can make or break this to be a success or not. If we go in with a negative attitude and come in saying this will never work, then of course it won't! We have to give it a chance and be willing to try.
I agree, attitude makes the difference. We have to be willing to try new things. If we don't, we undo all of the hard work that the other teachers have put in to make it a success.
I agree. The two things we can always control are attitude and effort. If our attitude and effort are not right then our we are not uplifting our students. If they are right, we can have an amazing affect on their lives.
Overlooked when change happens When teaching the 7 habits we need to understand the “somewhere” and “everywhere”. Somewhere is knowing the time and place to give Direct instruction. Everywhere is when all of us are integrating the habits and leadership class that teaches other leadership skills. Allows students to teach their peers is an important instructional skill that is overlooked. They can team present, teach young learners, write scripts and design posters. Our point should be that students teach the habits in classes, assemblies and on the school radio.
I have enjoyed and been challenged by the "everywhere" aspect. We constantly have opportunities that can be made teaching moments, and can also be made into student-leader moments. Taking the 30 seconds when we see these moments can instill deeper and more significant skills in our students as they start to see the "everywhere" and look past the "somewhere," too.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the level of trust in our building? I can honestly say that our school has gone through many changes within the last several years and that definitely made it hard to trust if things were being done for the right reasons for our students. However, the last 2-3 years I have seen a tremendous change in attitude, trust, and belief that our school is capable of doing great things. I would rate trust as a definite 9 right now.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the current trust level in our building? I believe our goal of trust should be a 10 and we are working towards that. It is a hard goal, that will take refining, but it is attainable. Working in an environment where you can trust the stakeholders and peers can be refreshing and take significant stress off of all involved. Through the years, I have seen our school environment move to be more trustworthy, to be a "safer" environment for the students and the teachers. I agree with Bridget that we do believe our school is capable of doing great things and we have seen a change in attitude and trust. Feeling like you are trusted is a huge step in being a community campus of trustworthiness. I believe our administration has stepped out and shown that they do trust their staff to have the students' best interests in mind and to be teaching diligently in all situations. This has been encouraging to me as a teacher, and as a parent of a student.
How does individual and group behavior change when there is a clear, unified purpose?
Everybody works together because the task is meaningful. All involved want to succeed because the task is a group reflection and a reflection of the individual. The team is only as strong as its weakest member. You can move a mountain one piece at a time. If every person is responsible for a piece, then the job will be taken care of faster. It won't be as overwhelming.
What is meant by “Teachers are a school’s greatest asset, which also make them the greatest threat”? As teachers, we have the opportunity the exemplify the 7 habits in our daily lives. By doing so, we all become role models of these great habits. The "treat" comes into play when teaching the habits to students. When teaching the 7 habits, we need to be very aware if we are over teaching the habits. We need to design natural lessons around the habits and live out the habits so students don't get bombarded by the habits and reject them all together.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the level of trust in our building?
I have only been at the school as a teacher since August 2016, but in the last few years as a sub to my time teaching, I have seen a change in trust with the faculty. I will be honest and say that the big change has come in the last 2 years and have seen the trust level rise. If asked this same question 2-3 years ago I would have rated the school a 4-5 but now I would rate the school a 9 with the level of trust.
How does individual and group behavior change when there is clear, unified purpose? When there is clear, unified purpose, individual and group behavior will change quite a bit. I have found, through my own experiences, that if the purpose is specifically identified, all involved will work more thoroughly to achieve the goal at hand. Steps will be taken to ensure every step is completely covered and completed. Students always perform better when they are made aware of the expectations of the teacher, so in turn, the same will be true for teachers and administrators when a unified atmosphere is present. Our school, in general, has such an atmosphere. We work together and get a lot of things accomplished when our leaders set goals and expectations for us.
What are the benefits of a culture with high trust? If you trust your leader, then you feel competent in what you are doing and willing to try. That will trickle down to the students. If they see us feeling successful and feeling great about what we are doing, then they will start to feel like they can do it as well, and start to try things without being made to.
I've not thought about the competence/trust correlation before, but you're right. Even when someone knows their own competence, it's easy to second guess that competence when not trusted to do what one knows or how a task needs to be done.
What are the 4 steps to facilitate change? The first priority is to enlist strong role models to do the initial teaching. The 2nd is to teach them somewhere and everywhere. The 3rd is a combination approach and teaching them leadership skills. The 7 habits can be integrated into lessons or activities everywhere.
What are the benefits of a culture with high trust?
The basis of any working relationship is trust. Trust has to be reciprocated. Principals have to trust their teachers; teachers have to trust their principals. It is the same with students. Students have to trust in their school. If the students trust the teacher and/or principal, they are willing to try harder. They will trust that they are being led in the correct direction.
I completely agree, Marcie. Students will strive to be better if they trust their school, teacher(s), and principals. They will know they are being led correctly and that their time spent at school is meaningful for them to be successful adults.
How does individual and group behavior change when their is a clear, unified purpose? I know just this year teaching first grade (I taught 6th for several years) has been a learning process in this exact way for me.:) Ha Ha The ideas I had used in the past do not work for this age group. I know as I have gone through the year, changing and seeing what works and what hasn't, how this can affect their behavior. We have to have ONE goal and ONE mindset for them to follow and be successful in before moving onto another. So I believe having ONE unified purpose for the school would definitely make this program much easier to achieve then every year, the students having to learn a new one.
What are the benefits of a culture that has high trust?
The benefits of a culture that has high trust will move mountains with students, teachers, and parents. All stakeholders will be involved, and want all students to be successful. Parents, staff, and community members will jump aboard and help make the school successful. As a "new" teacher at Highland, I can see why Highland is so successful. The staff, parents, community, and students LOVE their school. They want their school to be successful. I love the culture of Highland.
What are the benefits of a culture with high trust?
I think that high levels of trust are incredibly beneficial. Its starts at the top and trickles down. I believe a key element to trust is consistency. If the administration is consistent and the teachers are consistent, it will create a level of trust that will trickle down to the students and that is beneficial to everybody.
What are the benefits of a culture with high trust?
One particular benefit of having a culture with high trust is less problems. No matter how great and wonderful a culture is, there will always be problems. However, with high trust, there will definitely be less problems. The problems is a high trust culture can be dealt with easily and efficiently. There should be no room for a problem to grow into a major issue. With high trust, there should be no room for he said/she said in problems. They will not escalate and will be resolved quickly.
How is leadership defined in Ch. 8? As far as student leadership, it is more than assigning jobs. It is to give them responsibility and ownership and then empowering them to lead; allowing them to take charge and be part of the creation not just the solution.
What are the four steps Dr. Covey recommends to facilitate change?
1. Purposes: Why is it that "The Leader in Me" is important to our school? What objectives are we trying to achieve? 2. Path: How are we going to achieve out purposes? Who will do what, and when? 3. Pace: A school will want to choose the ideas that match its needs and interests, come up with some of their own ideas , and then spread them out over a period of years. 4. Patience: Give those ideas time to work and to change the school's environment.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the current trust level in our building?
Trusting one another is a major issue! It is definitely comes with time. I think that over the years, the trust level of our school has increased dramatically. I would give it an 8.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the current trust level in our building? The trust level within a faculty is very important to establishing change. If teachers feel they can trust each other, change will come more readily. The trust level at present time for our building is a 7, in my opinion.
Trust is the key to everything. People must develop trust over time through actions. Children know if they can trust a teacher or not. When the child feels the trust, then the teacher can build upon past knowledge and experiences to help the child excel.
In Chapter 8, leadership is defined as being multifaceted. One of the most important roles is setting a purpose. This includes aligning the mission, vision, strategy, and people resources to stakeholder needs while also allowing teachers the freedom to use their talents.
How is leadership defined in Chapter 8?
ReplyDeleteLeadership is defined as "communicating a person's worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it in themselves." There are two kinds of leaders: Leaders of Self and Leaders of Others. Leaders of Self lead their own lives, are self-reliant and in charge of their choices, actions, and destinies. They are forward thinkers and have plans, clear purposes, and the discipline to reach them.
Leaders of Others share knowledge or talents, inspire others, are role models, and can guide groups to accomplish a goal. The ultimate end in mind is to develop students with the skills to lead their own lives, work efficiently with others, and make meaningful contributions throughout their own lives wherever they go.
It is important to recognize that there are two types of leaders, because leaders of self may not make a positive contribution to a goal if they are too single-minded about themselves.
DeleteConsider a past program that we no longer use. Since you just read about sustaining change, what was it about how that program was initiated that made it unsustainable?
ReplyDeleteThis may not be an actual "program" but at one point, teachers in Crenshaw County were told not to assign a grade of zero for any student. The idea behind the "no zeros" was not a bad one. Basically, teachers were encouraged to not allow a student to skip assignments. I agree with this sentiment, as the students are children who do not have the right to simply "just take a zero" as they tend to say. Even though the initiative came from the correct thought process, it did not work. Teachers were burdened with giving apathetic students copy after copy of the same assignment while the student continually refused to complete it. Also, the CCBOE policy states that students with unexcused absences are not allowed to complete assignments that they missed.
The "no zero" policy started for good reason, but it was "too good to be true." There are unfortunately some instances where students earn a 0 grade. Hopefully that is few and far between, but it isn't realistic to say that teachers can never assign a zero
Amen, Sister! I remember that one and the workload/chaos that ensued. The intention was good, but it was not thought out to the end. As a result it was very frustrating for teachers, parents, and students alike.
DeleteI was never a part of a system with a “no zero” policy but I recall a few friends who tried it. Like you, I think the ideology behind the policy was good; it just wasn’t something that would work. I remember hearing about the frustrations from my friends who taught high school in schools with this policy. The biggest complaint was that it had no effect on the students who were failing but seemed to be hurting the work ethic of the students who, in the past, would do what needed to be done to avoid a zero. It seemed to give the students an “out” when they didn’t feel like doing their work.
DeleteI remember hearing about the "no zero" policy during my time at Highland doing college observation hours. When it had been fully explained I could not believe that it was a policy. To be honest, I did not think it was a good policy, it allowed those that did not care or try to still pass while the ones working to make the high grades passed as well. All it was doing from what I could see is make students think that doing the least was enough to get by not only in school but life.
DeleteWhat is meant by “Teachers are a school’s greatest asset, which also make them the greatest threat”? This statement is so true! A united staff is so important to the implementation of any program. If everyone is on board and is backing a new program, the success rate will be very high; however, if it is viewed as “something else we have to do”, it is doomed. Our attitudes can make or break a program, which is what makes us the greatest asset or the greatest threat.
ReplyDeleteAmen! I totally agree that we as teachers can make or break this to be a success or not. If we go in with a negative attitude and come in saying this will never work, then of course it won't! We have to give it a chance and be willing to try.
DeleteI agree, attitude makes the difference. We have to be willing to try new things. If we don't, we undo all of the hard work that the other teachers have put in to make it a success.
DeleteI agree. We can be our greatest supporters or our biggest downfalls within ourselves.
DeleteI agree. The two things we can always control are attitude and effort. If our attitude and effort are not right then our we are not uplifting our students. If they are right, we can have an amazing affect on their lives.
DeleteI say all the time how attitude affects the outcome. It is all about how we see things and the attitude and effort we put into it.
DeleteYes, I totally agree! Your attitude affects your altitude in all things big or small!
DeleteOur students can also see our attitudes, and they thrive off of how we present ourselves. It makes or breaks instruction.
DeleteOverlooked when change happens
ReplyDeleteWhen teaching the 7 habits we need to understand the “somewhere” and “everywhere”. Somewhere is knowing the time and place to give Direct instruction. Everywhere is when all of us are integrating the habits and leadership class that teaches other leadership skills. Allows students to teach their peers is an important instructional skill that is overlooked. They can team present, teach young learners, write scripts and design posters. Our point should be that students teach the habits in classes, assemblies and on the school radio.
I have enjoyed and been challenged by the "everywhere" aspect. We constantly have opportunities that can be made teaching moments, and can also be made into student-leader moments. Taking the 30 seconds when we see these moments can instill deeper and more significant skills in our students as they start to see the "everywhere" and look past the "somewhere," too.
DeleteI agree! Every moment in the day can be a teaching moment of the 7 habits!
DeleteI agree. Teaching moments are all around us. We just need to take the time and make the effort.
DeleteOn a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the level of trust in our building?
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say that our school has gone through many changes within the last several years and that definitely made it hard to trust if things were being done for the right reasons for our students.
However, the last 2-3 years I have seen a tremendous change in attitude, trust, and belief that our school is capable of doing great things. I would rate trust as a definite 9 right now.
I feel the same way Bridget. I have definitely felt like we have all grown closer as a school the last few years.
DeleteI agree, Bridget. I feel that over the past few years the trust has improved at Highland.
DeleteOn a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the current trust level in our building?
ReplyDeleteI believe our goal of trust should be a 10 and we are working towards that. It is a hard goal, that will take refining, but it is attainable. Working in an environment where you can trust the stakeholders and peers can be refreshing and take significant stress off of all involved.
Through the years, I have seen our school environment move to be more trustworthy, to be a "safer" environment for the students and the teachers.
I agree with Bridget that we do believe our school is capable of doing great things and we have seen a change in attitude and trust.
Feeling like you are trusted is a huge step in being a community campus of trustworthiness. I believe our administration has stepped out and shown that they do trust their staff to have the students' best interests in mind and to be teaching diligently in all situations. This has been encouraging to me as a teacher, and as a parent of a student.
How does individual and group behavior change when there is a clear, unified purpose?
ReplyDeleteEverybody works together because the task is meaningful. All involved want to succeed because the task is a group reflection and a reflection of the individual. The team is only as strong as its weakest member. You can move a mountain one piece at a time. If every person is responsible for a piece, then the job will be taken care of faster. It won't be as overwhelming.
I agree. You can "move a mountain one piece at a time". Everyone can work together and make it meaningful, and success will grow.
DeleteWhat is meant by “Teachers are a school’s greatest asset, which also make them the greatest threat”?
ReplyDeleteAs teachers, we have the opportunity the exemplify the 7 habits in our daily lives. By doing so, we all become role models of these great habits. The "treat" comes into play when teaching the habits to students. When teaching the 7 habits, we need to be very aware if we are over teaching the habits. We need to design natural lessons around the habits and live out the habits so students don't get bombarded by the habits and reject them all together.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the level of trust in our building?
ReplyDeleteI have only been at the school as a teacher since August 2016, but in the last few years as a sub to my time teaching, I have seen a change in trust with the faculty. I will be honest and say that the big change has come in the last 2 years and have seen the trust level rise. If asked this same question 2-3 years ago I would have rated the school a 4-5 but now I would rate the school a 9 with the level of trust.
How does individual and group behavior change when there is clear, unified purpose?
ReplyDeleteWhen there is clear, unified purpose, individual and group behavior will change quite a bit. I have found, through my own experiences, that if the purpose is specifically identified, all involved will work more thoroughly to achieve the goal at hand. Steps will be taken to ensure every step is completely covered and completed. Students always perform better when they are made aware of the expectations of the teacher, so in turn, the same will be true for teachers and administrators when a unified atmosphere is present. Our school, in general, has such an atmosphere. We work together and get a lot of things accomplished when our leaders set goals and expectations for us.
What are the benefits of a culture with high trust?
ReplyDeleteIf you trust your leader, then you feel competent in what you are doing and willing to try. That will trickle down to the students. If they see us feeling successful and feeling great about what we are doing, then they will start to feel like they can do it as well, and start to try things without being made to.
I've not thought about the competence/trust correlation before, but you're right. Even when someone knows their own competence, it's easy to second guess that competence when not trusted to do what one knows or how a task needs to be done.
DeleteAmen. That is so true. It is so easy to fall into that stage of second guessing yourself, no matter what you know to be true yourself.
DeleteWhat are the 4 steps to facilitate change?
ReplyDeleteThe first priority is to enlist strong role models to do the initial teaching. The 2nd is to teach them somewhere and everywhere. The 3rd is a combination approach and teaching them leadership skills. The 7 habits can be integrated into lessons or activities everywhere.
What are the benefits of a culture with high trust?
ReplyDeleteThe basis of any working relationship is trust. Trust has to be reciprocated. Principals have to trust their teachers; teachers have to trust their principals. It is the same with students. Students have to trust in their school. If the students trust the teacher and/or principal, they are willing to try harder. They will trust that they are being led in the correct direction.
I completely agree, Marcie. Students will strive to be better if they trust their school, teacher(s), and principals. They will know they are being led correctly and that their time spent at school is meaningful for them to be successful adults.
DeleteHow does individual and group behavior change when their is a clear, unified purpose?
ReplyDeleteI know just this year teaching first grade (I taught 6th for several years) has been a learning process in this exact way for me.:) Ha Ha The ideas I had used in the past do not work for this age group. I know as I have gone through the year, changing and seeing what works and what hasn't, how this can affect their behavior. We have to have ONE goal and ONE mindset for them to follow and be successful in before moving onto another. So I believe having ONE unified purpose for the school would definitely make this program much easier to achieve then every year, the students having to learn a new one.
What are the benefits of a culture that has high trust?
ReplyDeleteHere's another resource beyond The Leader in Me. https://www.leadergrow.com/home
Provided is a quick reference adapted from the book Leading with Trust is like Sailing Downwind by Robert Whipple
https://webs.zd-cms.com/cms/res/files/385/Ten-Hallmarks-of-High-Trust-Organizations.pdf
What are the benefits of a culture that has high trust?
ReplyDeleteThe benefits of a culture that has high trust will move mountains with students, teachers, and parents. All stakeholders will be involved, and want all students to be successful. Parents, staff, and community members will jump aboard and help make the school successful. As a "new" teacher at Highland, I can see why Highland is so successful. The staff, parents, community, and students LOVE their school. They want their school to be successful. I love the culture of Highland.
What are the benefits of a culture with high trust?
ReplyDeleteI think that high levels of trust are incredibly beneficial. Its starts at the top and trickles down. I believe a key element to trust is consistency. If the administration is consistent and the teachers are consistent, it will create a level of trust that will trickle down to the students and that is beneficial to everybody.
What are the benefits of a culture with high trust?
ReplyDeleteOne particular benefit of having a culture with high trust is less problems. No matter how great and wonderful a culture is, there will always be problems. However, with high trust, there will definitely be less problems. The problems is a high trust culture can be dealt with easily and efficiently. There should be no room for a problem to grow into a major issue. With high trust, there should be no room for he said/she said in problems. They will not escalate and will be resolved quickly.
I agree. A high level of trust is important not only between faculty, but also between students/faculty and students/students.
DeleteHow is leadership defined in Ch. 8?
ReplyDeleteAs far as student leadership, it is more than assigning jobs. It is to give them responsibility and ownership and then empowering them to lead; allowing them to take charge and be part of the creation not just the solution.
What are the four steps Dr. Covey recommends to facilitate change?
ReplyDelete1. Purposes: Why is it that "The Leader in Me" is important to our school? What objectives are we trying to achieve?
2. Path: How are we going to achieve out purposes? Who will do what, and when?
3. Pace: A school will want to choose the ideas that match its needs and interests, come up with some of their own ideas , and then spread them out over a period of years.
4. Patience: Give those ideas time to work and to change the school's environment.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the current trust level in our building?
ReplyDeleteTrusting one another is a major issue! It is definitely comes with time. I think that over the years, the trust level of our school has increased dramatically. I would give it an 8.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the current trust level in our building?
ReplyDeleteThe trust level within a faculty is very important to establishing change. If teachers feel they can trust each other, change will come more readily. The trust level at present time for our building is a 7, in my opinion.
Trust is the key to everything. People must develop trust over time through actions. Children know if they can trust a teacher or not. When the child feels the trust, then the teacher can build upon past knowledge and experiences to help the child excel.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 8, leadership is defined as being multifaceted. One of the most important roles is setting a purpose. This includes aligning the mission, vision, strategy, and people resources to stakeholder needs while also allowing teachers the freedom to use their talents.
ReplyDeleteHow is leadership defined in Chapter 8?
ReplyDeleteLeadership is defined as "communicating a person's worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it in themselves."