Week of September 24 - 28

This week we will finish up Habit #2 and move into Habit #3.

After allowing students to share their wonderful PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENTS that they created for homework this past weekend, the students then began their study of the next topic for Habit #2 (covered on Monday and Tuesday):  SETTING GOALS.

On Monday, the students read from the Covey text about 5 Keys to Goal Setting.  We summarized our reading with the following notes:

Key #1: Count the COST and consider the BENEFIT of your goal.
              o Decide what you will have to give up to reach your goal.
              o Think about all the benefits you will receive from reaching your goal.
Key #2: Put it in Pen.
              o Write down your goal so that you can see what you've committed to doing.
              o Writing helps you be specific with your goal.
Key #3: Just Do It.
              o Don't say, "I'll try."
              o Do say, "I will do it!"
Key #4: Use Momentous Moments (to propel you to set a goal) like ...
              o A new year
              o A life-changing event
              o A setback
              o Moving to a new school or new city
              o A new day!
Key #5: Rope Up!
              o Seek help from others.
              o Get an "accountability partner" to support you.

On Tuesday, we learned how to actually create SMART goals.  I explained each of the letters in the "SMART" acronym, and then the students began working to create 9 unique, individual SMART goals on the following worksheet.  Their 9 goals are due in class on Wednesday, September 26.

On Wednesday, the students broke out into groups and came up with 3 SMART goals for their group. Next, several groups presented their goals while the remainder of the class evaluated whether or not each goal was, in fact, a "SMART" goal.

On Thursday and Friday, we began our study of HABIT #3: PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST.
The students watched a short introductory Covey video that demonstrated how important it is to take care of our "big rocks" in life first.  Doing so helps us to prioritize and manage our time well.  We read in the text about the 4 Time Quadrants and learned how to figure out where we are spending our time so that we can start making better choices if we need to become more highly effective.

This week's BELL RINGERS:

Monday:  Why is it important to create a personal mission statement?
Tuesday: Why is it necessary to write down your goals?
Wednesday: What does each of the letters in the SMART acronym stand for?
Thursday: What do you think it means to "put first things first"?
Friday: How can you apply Habit #3 in my classroom?

Week of September 17 - 21

This week the students will complete their study of Habit #1 and then begin their study of Habit #2.

After collecting the PBA worksheet assignment on Monday, I introduced the students to the concept of what it means to "Carry Your Own Weather."  To "carry your own weather" essentially means to proactively choose how you wish to respond to life, even when circumstances are difficult.  After watching a video, narrated by Stephen Covey, the students completed the following worksheet that highlights the main ideas presented within the video:

 The next concept we discussed involving Habit #1 is the concept of the "Pause Button."  The idea behind the pause button is that between a stimulus and a response, there is a space.  It is in that space that we have the freedom to choose.  We can exercise that freedom by "pressing our pause button" before we react and do something we regret.  We need to PAUSE - BREATHE - THINK before we respond if we hope to respond in a way that does not lead to regrets.  To help the students understand and practice this concept, they each created their own "pause button" (which some students chose to wear on their forehead for the remainder of the day!).

To wrap up our study of Habit #1, the students learned about their "4 Human Tools" of (1) self-awareness, (2) conscience, (3) imagination, and (4) willpower.  These tools are inside of each one of us (unlike our pets!) and are available for us to use when we are on "pause" and trying to decide how to thoughtfully respond to situations.

On Tuesday, the students read a scenario about how to apply these 4 human tools.  Afterwards, they broke up into groups and created "real-life" scenarios as well as descriptions of how to apply each of these tools to their scenario.  What was not finished in class is required to be completed for homework (due Wednesday).

On Wednesday, we will begin the study of Habit #2: Begin with the End in Mind.  There will be a hands-on puzzle activity to complete during class, and then the students will read from the 7 Habits book and take notes as they read about Habit #2.  I will also introduce the students to the "Car Analogy" (which corresponds to Habits 1, 2, and 3).

On Thursday, the students will continue reading about Habit #2 and begin to complete The Great Discovery Worksheet (to be completed for homework and due on Friday) in preparation for creating their Personal Mission Statement, an activity which will take place in class on Friday.  

Bell Ringers this week:

Monday: How were you proactive this weekend?

Tuesday:  What are your "4 Human Tools"?  Which one do you tend to neglect most often? Explain.

Wednesday:  If your goal is to become "highly effective" and make an "A" in this class, what do you need to do NOW in order to reach your goal?

Thursday: Describe the qualities of the person you hope to become 10 years from now.

Friday: What is the "car analogy" as it relates to Habit #1 and Habit #2?

Week of September 10 - 14

This week, the students began the week by continuing their study of paradigms and principles.
We graded last week's bell ringer assignment during class so that each student was able to actively participate in an exercise to help them understand the habits that they should have already developed by now regarding the weekly bell ringer activity.
We also had a class discussion about the principles assignment that my substitute gave them on Friday.  If they did not finish this work, they were asked to make sure their Principles 4-square activity was completed by Tuesday (see below).

On Tuesday - Friday of this week, the students will be learning about The Private Victory. 

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the students learned about their PBA (Personal Bank Account) which is "how you feel about yourself" or the amount of trust and confidence you have in yourself.
To help them understand how their PBA can increase and decrease, the students filled in a check register with examples of 5 PBA deposits and 5 PBA withdrawals. This assignment was DUE on THURSDAY.

During class on Thursday we brainstormed about how to make some REAL PBA DEPOSITS over the next few days in our bell ringer assignment.  Expanding on this concept, the students were given an additional assignment to COMPLETE the PBA Worksheet by filling in the 3rd check register with 5 real-life PBA deposits that they must make over the next 4 days.  This assignment is due NEXT MONDAY, September 17.

Also on Thursday of this week, we began our study of HABIT #1: BE PROACTIVE.  We will continue our study of Habit #1 on Friday as well.


Bell Ringers this week:

Monday: Describe your "paradigm" of last Friday's class. Include the names of specific students in your description if necessary,

Tuesday:  What is one new habit that you have chosen to make that will help you live by your chosen principle (as written on your Principles 4-square activity)?

Wednesday: How can you make a deposit into your PBA?

Thursday:  Make a list of five PBA deposits that you can make between now and Monday.

Friday:  Describe what it means to be proactive.

Week of September 4 - 7, 2018

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Labor Day celebration and long weekend!

This school week starts off on a Tuesday and begins our study of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.  To kick off this study, the students watched a short video of young people just like them who struggle with similar issues (trying to "fit in", feeling awkward, having trouble talking to their parents, occasionally feeling "out of control", etc.)  These are the issues that the 7 Habits were created to help teens and pre-teens manage during this time difficult period of life known as the middle and high school years.

During class, we defined two very important terms: (1) habit and (2) effective.  As well, we talked about how learning the 7 habits is similar to a tree growing from its roots all the way up to becoming a healthy, strong mature tree.  To help the students understand this relationship, they filled in each habit on a picture of the 7 Habits Tree, being certain to spell each habit and the terms "private victory", "public victory", and "renewal" correctly.  We also discussed each of these terms as they relate to the 7 habits.

On Thursday and Friday of this week, the students will learn about paradigms and principles, two more terms that are important to their understanding of how the 7 Habits can help you become highly effective.

Bell Ringers for the week are as follows:

Tuesday:  What are two of your best habits? What are two of your worst habits?

Wednesday:  How can your habits "push you onward or drag you down to failure"?

Thursday:  Choose an adjective that describes your middle school experience so far.   Then use that word to describe what if feels like to be in middle school.

Friday: Describe a time when your paradigm shifted.

HOMEWORK this week:

Complete the 7 Habits Tree (folded, terms written accurately in the correct spaces, and tree colored).