Seven Habits

I wanted to blog about was my thoughts Mr. Moon's presentation and he seven habits. He works with Steven Covey and had quite a bit to say. And a lot of fun examples to demonstrate his points. He also asked some thought provoking questions like, "Why are you here? Why are you doing the things you are doing?" Somethings that I think the average person (and teacher) forgets frequently.

So, like this post is titled, the seven habits and how they change your life.

The first point is being proactive. A must in any classroom or learning environment. An education is a two person job, the teacher and the learner. As the old proverb says "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." It is the same in the classroom.

The second, begin with the end in mind. Once we have a goal we can break it down until we can reach the end. But you need to have something to reach for.

The third, put first things first. Once you have a vision (goal in mind) you need to prioritize in order to reach that goal. If you buy tickets to a concert, and then get distracted playing video games or reading a book, you miss the concert. You need to put aside the video games and get in the car and drive there. Make an effort.

I love that the first three focus on developing independence. I feel that sometimes students are much too dependent on their teachers and parents.

The fourth, think win win. Students need to be taught to look for situations where everyone benefits. Often the focus in classrooms is competition. "I am smarter than you. I am faster." I believe a classroom should be less ego-centric and more task-centered. Every child should be able to achieve. It is not a competition.

The fifth, seek first to understand, then seek to be understood. Often people are so worried about what they are going to reply that they miss what is actually being said. People need to develop a common understanding before they can both be understood.

The sixth, synergize. Working together. A principle that needs to be taught on a grand-scale. There are soooo many people who are incapable of working together with another individual. So frustrating.

The seventh, sharpen the saw. This is a never ending process. You need to constantly be seeking to improve.

Not all complete thoughts. But something I enjoyed learning about and thought I would share.