Chapters 5 & 6 The Leader in Me

Traditions and Celebrations
Traditions and celebrations can make a school feel like a community. Unleashing a Culture of Leadership is about how we each individually contribute and connect with those traditions and celebrations. What are some traditions and celebrations at David E. Smith that make us special? What are some traditions or celebrations that you would like to see started?

Rippling Across the Globe

As I read about various schools implementing in The Leader in Me, I am reminded that David E. Smith is already a special place. We want to take the elements that are already working and build on them. The Leader in Me is not about starting something totally new; it's about becoming great in every way a school can be great. We have so much talent and so many good ideas. I see the Leader in Me as a process that will enable us to bring these talents and ideas together. What are your thoughts after reading all of these success stories?

Chapters 3 & 4 The Leader in Me

PARADIGM SHIFT ~ One of the most important concepts of The 7 Habit of Highly Effective People is the notion of Paradigm Shift. A paradigm is simply the way you look at something. Here is an example of a paradigm shift. Look at the drawing below. What do you see? You see an animal no doubt, but what animal do you see? Make sure to check in and read other people's responses; you may be surprised. The meaning of something depends on how you look at it.
Chapter 3: Crafting a Blueprint for Leadership - The illustration on p. 60 of The Leader in Me suggests that we look at academic subjects through the lenses of Life Skills and Character. In other words, Life Skills and Character should be embedded in everything we do at school; bringing context and meaning to learning. This is a paradigm shift for many educators (it is for me.) Did you come across anything is this chapter that you've seen or heard before, but now you're looking at it in a new way?

Chapter 4: Aligning for Success - Alignment does not mean that we agree on everything, or that we all do the same thing. What does alignment mean? What does a school look like when there is alignment? What things need to be in alignment for long-term success?