“Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have--you.” (Stephen Covey, 2015) According to Covey, sharpening our saw is the renewing of ourselves in the physical, social/emotional, mental and spiritual. Balance is definitely the most difficult part of the sharpening the saw process. I’ve learned from many successful people on how they balance their responsibilities, one of the best pieces of advice I received was to have a regimen that is un-regimented. In other words, have a plan but remain flexible as life will not allow you to remain on a consistent schedule. Things always come up and you just have to be open to that.
Physical The teaching profession is a draining profession because we are constantly pouring into others, physically and emotionally. One of the commitments I’ve had for the past few years is to remain healthy. My students deserve a teacher that not only preaches but practices what he preaches as well. I want to have great energy every day that I step in front of my students so I decided to make more time for the gym and to educate myself in the area of nutrition. Making time for the gym after work was very difficult due to teaching and family commitments so I decided to make my day longer and wake up earlier. I now go to the gym at 4 in the morning about twice per week and normal hours on the weekends. In the area of nutrition, I decided to educate myself by reading books, blogs and watched hours of youtube videos on health advice to ensure I’m eating the right food and the right amount for my body type. With this new regimen, I struggled with rest. I have given myself some days off where I don’t go to the gym and don’t do any school work just so I’m not depleted during the week. Social/Emotional For the past few years, I’ve entered a season where I was more cautious of the people I surround myself with. It wasn’t about judging others or that people that were around me were bad but I decided to make changes to improve myself. I wanted to eliminate bad habits that stunted my growth and affected my purpose. I began aligning myself with people that were positive and not afraid to pursue destiny. People that were not only risk takers but also had a heart to live in services to others. I also began associating myself with people in education that I can learn from and also with people that seeked my help as well. “People learn from one another, just as iron sharpens iron.” Proverbs 27:17 Mental During my journey to become an educator, I also began my journey of reading books. Books have changed my life. During a 2-3 year span I immersed myself into self development books to learn how to control my thoughts, finding purpose and following my purpose. That same journey continues to this day, at a much slower pace because I’m a bit busier but has continued nonetheless. I love learning from others and listening to other people’s stories. There’s so much to learn from others because I truly believe we will never experience a new problem. People that have come before us have experienced what we’re about to experience and wrote the answer in a book. This doesn’t mean we will be able to solve every problem from reading books but we can be better prepared on how to handle and react to situations. Spiritual My wife and I love going to the beach every Saturday morning. We love getting there early in the morning before the rush of the people. We take pictures, listen to the waves and just walk around with coffee in our hands. Life can be very hectic but there’s something about the beach that slows everything down for a few moments. We also pray daily, in the morning before we head to work and at night before we go to sleep. It allows us to start our day with our creator, thanking Him for giving us another day to fulfill his purpose and at night we thank him for the experiences we were given throughout the day. My faith means everything to me and I do my best to stay aligned with it by praying, reading the bible, worship music, helping others and through fellowship. Commitment I commit to sharpening my physical, social/emotional, mental and spiritual saw on a daily basis because I know that being consistent will create growth and change in my life and the lives of others. References Steven covey, S.C. (2015). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Habit 7: Sharpening the Saw. Retrieved October 7, 2015, from https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit6.php Synergize
“To put it simply, synergy means "two heads are better than one." (Stephen Covey, 2015) Synergize is the habit of creative cooperation. The ability to work within a team, having an open mind and finding new solutions to old problems. In my professional experience, I’ve worked as a social worker and now as a teenager. There wasn’t a lot of teamwork as a social worker. I managed my own caseload and was in charge of my own clients. As a teacher, I’ve never felt as if I was on my own. With the implementation of the Professional Learning Community (PLC) there has been much more teamwork, we all bring in all our experiences and knowledge to the table and we have been able to produce much more than we could on our own. I’ve been working with the same team for the past 3 years and I felt we were synergized and producing some awesome results for our students. This year, our team changed but the synergy remained. It took some time to get going, we’re still working out some kinks but I definitely feel the synergy and the open mindedness to work together and listen to each other's opinions. Commitment I Commit to surrounding myself with a diverse group of people and experiences. To have an open mind and value the differences of others. Instead of surrounding myself with a bunch of people and/or experiences that agree with me, I commit to stepping out of my comfort zone, meeting new people, experiencing new experiences, and to continuously improve. Teaching the Habit I plan on teaching the habit to my students through constantly switching their seating arrangements on a monthly basis, to continue working in groups and constant partner talk. I believe it’s important to constantly sit next to different classmates so they can learn to adapt and begin to develop the ability to work with people that may not look, speak, act and learn the way they do but they find a way to work as a team and succeed. References Steven covey, S.C. (2015). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Habit 6: Think Win-Win. Retrieved 30 September, 2015, from https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit6.php Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
I’ve always heard of the importance of communication in life. As men, we’re so used to doing, reacting and advising as we always have an answer for something because naturally, we love to fix things. “You spend years learning how to read and write, and years learning how to speak. But what about listening?” (Steven Covey, 2015) I’ve never been to a professional development on the art of listening but I think I need to. This is one habit I truly struggle with and going on my second year of marriage, lacking the ability to listen has definitely not been an asset in that department. Professionally, I have a hard time sitting in a staff meeting or professional development without tuning out for large periods of time. Not intentionally, just something I struggle with. Personally and professionally, I tend to want to get my point across and/or share my experiences so I forget to listen, my mind is usually working while the other person is talking. I’ve often asked, “why do I do this?” According to Covey, “because most people listen with the intent to reply, not to understand. You listen to yourself as you prepare in your mind what you are going to say, the questions you are going to ask, etc.” (Steven Covey, 2015) I tend to filter everything through my life experiences and if I have any knowledge of it, then my mind tends to begin formulating a response in the middle of a conversation when I’m supposed to be listening. Covey distinguishes between 5 types of listening: ignoring, pretending, selective, attentive and empathetic. I believe I’ve practiced all 5, however I need to practice more empathy. Looking back at conversations where I tuned people out or pretended to listen, doesn’t still well with me so I need to make it a focus to empathize with people, colleagues and loved ones much more. Empathetic listening is intending to understand what the other person is trying to communicate without interrupting them with a response or formulating responses as they speak. Commitment I commit to mimicking the content that was just spoke because repeating what they said will develop a level of comprehension that is necessary in a conversation and it will show the speaker that I am engaged. I commit to rephrasing the content, to tell the same story, but in my own words. I commit to reflect on feelings of the person speaking instead of instead of trying to ‘fix’ the problem. Teaching the Habit I plan on teaching the habit to myself, first and foremost, and to my students. To practice listening to each other as they speak and then have them repeat (in their own words) what their partner just told them. I plan on incorporating more partner talk as it not only teaches the students how to communicate but how to listen as well. References Steven covey, S.C. (2015). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Habit 5: Think Win-Win. Retrieved 30 September, 2015, from https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit5.php Win-Win
"Think Win-Win isn't about being nice, nor is it a quick-fix technique. It is a character-based code for human interaction and collaboration." (Steven Covey, 2015) I used to be an extremely competitive person, I've played sports my entire life, or at least until the age of 25, so I always compared myself to others. I played baseball so if I saw someone hit a home run, I tried to hit a home run as well and I tried to hit it even further. Even in arguments with others, I always tried to get in the last word. If I could no it all over again, I would humble myself a bit more, stay in my own lane and only compete against the person that looks back at me in the mirror. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." -Philippians 2:13 My faith plays a major role in who I am today, personally and professionally. I utilize scripture to guide me as a person in and out of the classroom. I no longer compete against others like I used to, I serve instead. I try my best to be a good person to my colleagues and grade level team as this is one trait I noticed ever since I got into teaching. When I first began teaching, I saw the hearts of teachers. During my first year of teaching, I had countless teachers give me some of their resources, time and materials that made my life so much easier. I came from a social work background where people were competitive with one another and tried to do anything to climb the corporate ladder, I don't really see that in teaching. I got into teaching to serve and that's my favorite aspect about 90% of the colleagues I've encountered, they all want to serve and have great hearts. Adversaries I definitely don't want to see others fail, I don't want to lift myself up while holding others down. That's not the way I intend to succeed. I feel like there's enough blessings for everyone and we were all created with a unique purpose so I can rest easy with the fact that no one can do what I do if I stay in my own lane (purpose). Just like I can't do what others can do when they're in their own lane (purpose). This is why, "be yourself" is such an easy thing to say but difficult to do because of competition. When we compete against others, we tend to fall off of our lanes and attempt to get into the lanes of others. I've worked with difficult people in the past. When I worked as a social worker, I didn't know how to deal with it. If they got me, I tried to get them back. Eye for an eye and that was always a lose-lose as Covey describes. As a teacher, I never really had to deal with a difficult person up until this year. Our 2nd grade team for this school year experienced some changes, one of our teachers was promoted to a Tech Instructor and another moved to 3rd grade. Due to this change, another teacher joined our team and right away she tried to incorporate "her way" of teaching and pacing. I talked to another colleague and grade level teammate and I asked her how she felt about the new teammate and we shared the some same concerns. She was very demanding, loud and selfish in her ways. We also talked about other co-workers about how to best work with her as her previous team worked with her for a couple years. They also shared the same concerns initially but they advised that the best route was to be honest and upfront with her. We followed this advise and talked to her about how the team will best function and that we're all here for the same purpose, to do what's best for our students so we can equip them to succeed this year and beyond. References Steven covey, S.C. (2015). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Habit 4: Think Win-Win. Retrieved 25 September, 2015, from https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit4.php Reflection
The third habit, Put First Things First, could not have come at a better time. My current plate consists of being a husband, bonus dad, homeowner, second grade teacher, church life group leader, small business owner, graduate school student and a fitness addict. Balancing all of these responsibilities is a lot fun but can feel very heavy at times. I recently heard this bible verse the other day that helped me learn to manage the multiple responsibilities, “ (Matthew 25:14-15For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.” In other words, I’ve been entrusted with the ability to endure many talents and/or responsibilities. This understanding gives me the peace and motivation to not only endure but to succeed in all of them. “I spend my time on things that are most important. This means I say not to things I know I should not do. I set priorities, make a schedule, and follow my plan. I am disciplined and organized.” (Covey, 2014) Time Management Time management is something is something I’ve been trying to improve on throughout the years. Through my faith and the help of my wife, I’ve been slowly but surely dropping habits that are not aligned with my purpose. The removing of these habits has given me the endurance and energy to get up every morning with a sense of purpose and drive. On a regular work week (Monday-Friday), I do my best to get to the gym at least 2-3 days out the week. In order to accomplish this, I wake up at 3:30am two days out of the work week and get to the gym by 4am. I leave around 5am, get home, get ready for work, eat breakfast and head to work around 6:15am. My drive to work is about 25 minutes so during this time, I love to listen to some type of inspiration such as an audio, an online message from my church or music. I normally arrive at my classroom around 6:45am. School starts at 7:45am so it gives me about an hour to prepare for class. After work, I come straight home to eat and complete any pending homework assignments for graduate school. About 1-2 days out of the work week, I try to give myself a few nights off with my family, sometimes it’s taking my bonus daughter to soccer practice or watching our favorite shows on DVR with my wife and daughter. I do my best to not do school work on the weekends so my wife and I can have quality time, so I can attend my church life group on Saturday mornings, work on our small business with my wife or have get-togethers with friends. There are many days that I feel drained and tired, I keep reminding myself that it’s ok to shut it down from time to time and rest. Rest is definitely part of the “prioritizer” quadrant and necessary to have great health. Small Pebbles As I state above, the dropping of bad habits has allowed me to be more efficient with my time and the management of it. I may not get to everything I planned for the day but I can rest easy at night that I gave my best effort and as I tell my students on a daily basis, “all I care about is that you do your best. I’m not looking for perfection, I’m looking for your best.” It’s all about priorities and to me it’s my faith, health, family, business (finances & small business), teaching and graduate school. Commitment I commit to not allowing the small pebbles, old habits, poor choices, excuses and procrastination get me off track from my goals. Teaching the Habit Putting first things first is a great skill I can teach to my second graders. Second graders tend to prioritize their time with socializing, what others are doing and just being kids.When these bad habits come first instead of their school work, their school day suffers. It’s a habit that I try to teach on a daily basis by modeling what they should be doing by constantly repeating steps, verbalizing what to do after they finish their work, a reward system for following directions and communicating with parents the importance of structure at home. During back to school night in a few weeks, I will teach the habit to parent’s as well as they are in control at home so they will hear the importance of coming to school prepared (good night's sleep, homework completion, nutrition, etc.). References Covey, S. (2008). The Leader in Me (2nd Edition ed.). New York, New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. Begin with the End in Mind
“I do things that have meaning and make a difference. I am an important part of my classroom and contribute to my school's mission and vision, and look for ways to be a good citizen.” (Covey, 2008, pg. 18) According to Covey, the second habit is to “Begin with the End in Mind.” To begin with the end in mind is to plan ahead and set goals. There has to be a destination and having the mindset that I can create my own future. Situations, events, economy, people and any other external factors will not dictate my future, my choices and proactive approach will. The first step is to envision ourselves at the end of our journey or destination, where do I want to go? What do I want to achieve? Oprah said it best, “the best work we can all do is create the highest vision possible for our lives and be led by that vision to the greatest good.” When I began to envision my true north compass, my destination or my future in education, it can be very difficult because I feel new to this field. When I first took the leap into the field of education at the age of 30, my vision and the end I had in mind was to have my own classroom where I can have a direct impact on the lives of children. I wanted to do good for this world. I wanted to make sure that the field of education benefited because of my presence, my unique experiences, knowledge and work ethic. Fast forward to today, that vision might have to be updated as I embark on this new journey, leadership. My vision is to teach, become an administrator and to become a public speaker for education or motivating others. I went to a Professional Learning Community conference a few years ago and it broadened my scope and vision. I began to notice that all of the speakers had teaching, administrative and even superintendent experience. Now they travel the world speaking and changing the lives of districts, schools, teachers and students. I would love the opportunity to do good for this world at a larger scale. My Behavioral Changes The behavioral changes I need to align myself with the second habit is to surround myself with more people in leadership and to have conversations that go beyond my own classroom. This past year I began committing myself to different committees and volunteering myself for more leadership roles. This past June I was voted as the Student Site Council representative for our school which is a group of teachers, parents and classified employees that works with the principal to develop, review and evaluate school improvement programs and school budgets. The funny thing is that I have no idea who nominated me but I am very thankful for the opportunity and I think it will be a great molding experience as I embark into the field of leadership. Teaching the Habit I plan on teaching the habit to my students as we begin our school year. This past week, we began taking our beginning of the year assessments and it’s a great way to get students thinking about the end in mind habit. Where do you want to be at the end of the year? How many words do you want to read by the end of the year? (fluency) How many sentences do you want to write by the end of the year? How many paragraphs? What kind of a citizen do you want to be in this classroom/school? How are you going to help others? I basically want to teach my students how to set goals for the year, record them and have them revisit the goals throughout the year to ensure they are on the right track with their vision, choices and work ethic. References Covey, S. (2008). The Leader in Me (2nd Edition ed.). New York, New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. Habit #1: Be Proactive
According to Stephen R. Covey, there are seven habits of highly effective people: be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek first to understand-then be understood, synergize and sharpen the saw. This paper will focus on the first of the seven habits, be proactive. "Be Proactive indicates that we are responsible for our actions and attitudes." (Covey, 2008, pg. 18) In other words, we cannot control what happens to us but we can control how we react to any situation. Being proactive is the foundation of all of the other habits so without being proactive or taking initiative over our lives, we cannot promote ourselves to following six habits. Enhancing My Behavior I'd like to think of myself as a person that is proactive. I love to take risks because through those risks I am able to stretch myself and step out of my comfort zone. However, I will commit to enhancing my behavior by not associating myself with dialogue that show frustration when there is change. For example, in my five years experience, we have had 1:1 iPad implementation, new language arts, math and science curriculum and the implementation of the Professional Leadership Community (PLC) model. That's a lot of change and when there is a lot of change, there is a lot of complaining. When there's a lot of complaining, there is also less effort because time is being wasted complaining. I've never been the type to complain, I make the best of a situation and keep evolving with the times. I truly believe all of the changes throughout the years have been great even though there were speed bumps along the way, it's expected. Personal Commitment Change is something I've become comfortable as I came into teaching at a later age. Prior to teaching, I logged in 8 years as a social worker while obtaining a bachelor's in business management. I decided to take a leap of faith into the field of teaching based on a vision I had. I had no experience in education but I had found myself in a Master's and credential program at the age of 28 while landing my first teaching job at the age of 30. Now I'm 36 and about to begin my sixth year of teaching. Change is also the reason I am currently in the process of obtaining my second Master's but this time in leadership. I never saw myself or even entertained the idea of being an administrator. Initially I was content with being a teacher and still am, I love teaching and being in the middle of a classroom with the opportunity to impact 25+ lives per year. Then I began to think bigger and beyond the classroom. Therefore, I commit to continue evolving and being proactive personally and professionally. Teaching the Habit to Others I believe the best way to teach the Covey's first be proactive habit to others is to lead by example. I've learned that throughout the years that simply preaching to people doesn't work. My actions are what people will notice and those actions speak louder than words. My job is prepare and do my best to model the principles of highly effective people around my circle of influence. References Covey, S. (2008). The Leader in Me (2nd Edition ed.). New York, New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. |
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