7 Habits
This program originated from the popular book by Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It provides a sequential study of how to become more effective in our schoolwork, how to develop leadership qualities, instill a high level of responsibility in all activities, as well as doing acts of kindness for each other. Students are taught how to make good choices and how to organize their time efficiently in order to meet their goals. They learn skills to help them work together effectively as a team. The St. Dominic School 7 Habits theme is “Creating a generation of leaders, one child at a time”.
At St. Dominic, the entire student body and staff start the day, four days a week, with our 7 Habits Assembly. Classes take turns demonstrating ways to live one of the 7 Habits through drama, song and other methods showing how to be successful by being proactive. Teachers also incorporate the 7 Habits into lesson plans during the course of the day.
The 7 Habits are stated and briefly summarized as follows:
7 habits
Be Proactive
Being proactive means recognizing our responsibility to make positive things happen.
We don’t wait for something to happen and then react to it.
We want to take charge and make great things happen.
Begin With the End in Mind
This habit is based on the ability to envision, to see the potential, to create with our minds what we cannot at present see with our eyes.
If we know what our end goal is or should be, we can devise a road map of how to achieve that goal.
Put First Things First
Create a clear understanding of what needs to be accomplished, and then prioritize our activities.
The most important things we need to accomplish should be at the top of our list.
Think Win-Win
Win-Win is a frame of mind that constantly seeks mutual benefit in our interactions with one another.
Win-Win means that agreements or solutions to problems are mutually beneficial to both sides.
Seek First to Understand, Then be Understood
We usually seek first to be understood.
Most people do not listen with the intent to understand, they listen with intent to reply.
They’re either speaking or preparing to speak.
When we first seek to understand someone, our paradigm shifts, so that we learn to seek first what the other person is saying, then make our attempt to also be understood.
Synergize
Synergy is working together. It is teamwork and team-building.
It is developing unity and creativity with each other.
Synergize means to work together, helping each other to succeed.
Sharpen the Saw
This is the habit of renewal, of being lifelong learners.
It is the habit of continuous improvement that lifts us to higher levels of knowledge and understanding.
To sharpen the saw means that we are constantly learning, exploring and always interested in new ways to improve and educate ourselves.
Source: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, "The Leader In Me Online.". Web. 08 Dec. 2014.