"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" is a book by Sean Covey that outlines habits that should be developed during the teenage years to help guarantee success far beyond high school. By starting to develop these habits now, transitions to high school and pathways thereafter will become easier. In addition to that, these "7 Habits" help us build and maintain positive relationships with our peers, parents, and ourselves. This practice goes hand in hand with our classroom HOWL rules. We will work on building these habits into our lifestyle in and out of the classroom this year. We are not perfect and we may not fully display all 7 habits right now, so make goals in each of the 7 to work towards to help yourself grow.
The 7 Habits Covey discusses in his book are outlined below.
The 7 Habits Covey discusses in his book are outlined below.
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Habit 2: Begin with the End in MindHabit 2 means that you start with a plan. You have to look at the big picture and where you want to end up then act accordingly. By setting goals, you can see what you need to do to get there to make sure that it happens. You are prepared and think about how your choices will impact you down the road both positively and negatively. Before you make a decision or act a certain way, think "Will this help me get to where I want to be?" If the answer is no, reassess the situation and make a better choice.
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Habit 4: Think Win-WinSomeone doesn't have to "lose" for you to get what you want. Having a win-win attitude is using problem solving so that everyone has a positive outcome from a situation. It is necessary for you to think about what everyone wants, not just what you want, so that you can compromise and find a solution that is good for everyone. In doing this, you are kind to others and find ways to keep everyone happy as much as possible. This also means that you don't seek revenge on others.
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Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be UnderstoodThis habit includes using good listening skills such as active listening and listening without interrupting. In our classroom, this means raising your hand before you speak, especially when someone else in the room is sharing a thought or an idea. It is important that you try to put yourself in the other person's shoes and understand what they are trying to accomplish or convey to you before trying to get them to understand your point of view. Doing this will help you get others to see things from your perspective in the long run. This is also respecting the opinions of others, even if they aren't the same as your own.
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Habit 6: SynergizeIt's time to work together! We will be doing a lot of synergizing in our class this year as we work to build a community. This means that you take the first 5 habits and combine them to work well with others in groups. It is important that you take other people's perspectives into account and appreciate the individual strengths and weaknesses that everyone brings to the table. Working together as an effective team will help you accomplish more things more efficiently as you come up with better solutions together.
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Habit 7: Sharpen the SawSometimes, you need to take time to yourself to process things and decompress. It isn't healthy to stay on the go all of the time and never get any rest and relaxation. It is important that you think of the other habits when you decide to sharpen the saw so that it is not getting in the way of you completing any of the things that need to be done. It is important that you treat your body kindly by eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep. You have to find a balance between school, friends, family, and fun while always working on bettering yourself to become the person you are destined to be.
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