What’s Right With Our Schools: Leader in Me
Whether the role comes naturally, or it is a learned trait, the ‘Leader in Me’ program is helping students adopt behaviors teachers hope will become habit.
The program derives from Sean Covey’s The 7 Habits of Happy Kids.
Students like kindergartner Kennedy Hammond learn all seven habits, one each week.
The habits are:
- Be proactive
- Begin with an end in mind
- Put first things first
- Think win-win
- Seek first to understand, then to be understood
- Synergize
- Sharpen the saw
Teacher Ronna DeMichiel and her colleagues went through days of training over the summer to educate staff on leadership in the school.
“I’ve seen a difference with academic performance, especially, initially if a child was not satisfied with the grade he or she made,” says DeMichiel.
More than 50 students are now learning the value of having a goal.
“Have something insight that they want to work hard to achieve.”
DeMichiel adds how students walk in the hallway, how they listen and obey, and make decisions are evident signs the program is creating positive change.
Kennedy uses ‘first things first.’
“I practice my homework, and then I play with my Barbie dolls.”
As Vice President of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and grandmother to an elementary student, Glenda Earwood-Smith is grateful for the program.
“First I thought: leader in me? Oh Lord, educational jargon,” says Earwood-Smith.
She’s learning the program is helping her grandson prioritize.
“Weeks later he got a new toy and I said well, let’s go home and play with the toy. He said Gigi first things first. We got to do homework.”
Earwood-Smith knew her grandson started applying ‘Leader in Me’ concepts to his daily life.
“I said okay this is more than education jargon. This is changing behavior.”
His teachers can appreciate the positive change.
“What I read about it is it decrease discipline problems,” says Earwood-Smith, “My grandson is going to be a discipline problem, but the teacher has empowered him.”
Academic Coach Amanda Marsh says the kids are catching on to the program faster than adults.
“…because they’re young and they’re sponges.”
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