Submitted article
Developing leaders in any organization is a major undertaking. However, adding young students, classwork and extra-curricular activities to the mix makes developing new leaders in a classroom or school an even more challenging endeavor. When done successfully, children as leaders in a classroom, or school, can have a profound impact on the overall climate and culture of that building and the entire district.
The Bucyrus Elementary School teachers and staff recognize a need to develop strong student leaders, and as such the adults are starting to learn what it takes to help young students develop leadership skills. Beginning in January, BES staff will undertake a book study program focused on Stephen Covey’s Leader in Me book.
“We have 50 plus staff members, including teachers, paraprofessionals and administrators who will be participating in the book study,” third grade teacher and Program Coordinator Kim Haldeman said. “Following the book study, a decision will be made about further exploration of The Leader in Me and if we have ‘buy-in’ from the majority of staff, then we could engage in advanced training in the 7 Habits with the help of the Franklin Covey staff.”
The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, as outlined in the book include; Be Proactive, Begin with the End in Mind, Put First Things First, Think Win-Win, Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood, Synergize and Sharpen the Saw. The program also builds on training all staff in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
“I read this book several years ago and it had a huge impact on my personal thinking, which lead me to begin teaching about the habits in small ways in my classroom about 4 or 5 years ago,” Haldeman said. “I introduced habits at our morning meeting, read anecdotes about them, did simple visualizations like putting a lot of small aquarium rocks into a container and then being unable to fit my big rocks into the container (Put First Things First).”
During site visits last year, Haldeman observed students who walk the walk and talk the talk. These students kept data binders with goals in them (Begin with the End in Mind). The students lead meetings and assemblies.
“For BES, I think becoming a Leader in Me school would mean that we would all have a common language because the 7 Habits are universal principles that all people can live by,” Haldeman said. “We would honor our strengths and our differences, see a decrease in discipline referrals and an increase in motivation to grow academically. The Leader in Me is about seeing the potential and greatness in every person.”
The Elementary School has already begun implementing small things to put students in leadership roles and give them more responsibility. Examples of these roles and responsibilities include student-led announcements every morning and leadership roles in classrooms based on grade level and different aspects of the day.
“Mrs. Haldeman has been living the “Leader in Me” principles in her classroom and teaching them for many years,” Associate Principal Timothy Souder said. “We are trying to put more responsibility in the hands of the students, and this program is an integral part of that process.”
The book study program is being underwritten by a mini-grant from the Bucyrus City Schools Education Foundation. Haldeman wrote a grant request and received funding to purchase books for this program, allowing for no district general fund monies to be used for the program.
To learn more about the “Leader in Me” book, visit www.leaderinme.org. For more information about the Elementary School book study program, please contact Kim Haldeman at 419-562-6089 or email khaldeman@bucyrusschools.org.