Leader in Me
Monterey Community School has the honor of becoming a nationally accredited Leader in Me School!
The Leader in Me is Franklin Covey’s whole school transformation process. It teaches 21st century leadership and life skills to K-12 students and creates a culture of student empowerment, based on the idea that every child can be a leader. The Leader in Me framework helps students learn how to become self-reliant; control their emotions; set and track goals; do their homework; prioritize their time; increase interpersonal skills, such as resolve conflicts and interact well with others; as well as help them develop the skills and self-confidence to lead their lives and succeed. While The Leader in Me is not designed specifically as an academic program, many schools have reported that its goal-setting and data-tracking processes have helped to clarify academic priorities and encourage students to take greater ownership over their education, all of which can impact academic progress.
The Leader in Me differs from other whole school transformation processes in that it offers a holistic, school wide experience for staff, students, and parents, and creates a common language and culture within the school. The leadership principles and lessons are not taught as a curriculum, but instead, are incorporated into the coursework, traditions, systems, and culture.
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Habit 6: Synergize
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Habit 8: Find Your Voice
What is "Leader In Me"?
- A process that helps develop the essential life skills and characteristics students need in order to thrive in the 21st century.
- It uses Stephen Covey's, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People model, tailored to children and teachers in an educational setting.
- Currently, it has been rolled out to over 650 schools worldwide.
Why is it good for my children?
- Personal leadership-being accountable for actions and attitudes
- Initiative and self-discipline, making healthy choices
- Ability to work well with others, cross-culturally and in teams
- Effective communication and listening skills
- Ability to solve complex problems and creative thinking skills
- Inspires greater self-confidence with a belief that every child can be a "leader of their own life", has unique talents, and can make a difference.
- Teaches skills needed to be successful in the 21st century.
What types of results are expected?
- Increase academic achievement and decline in discipline problems
- Increase student self-confidence, improved social and life skills
- Increase student, teacher, and parent satisfaction with their education
How is the process implemented in schools?
The "Leader in Me" process takes 1-3 years to become fully implemented into the school's culture.
Year 1 Goals:
- Create a shared vision of your ideal school and understand the leadership model
- Train the staff in the 7 Habits to establish a common language and culture
- Provide Implementation training for the staff to learn how to teach the Habits and create an environment of leadership in their classroom
- Create Lighthouse Leadership Team to ensure a successful implementation
- Provide student leadership roles.
Year 2 Goals:
- Implement Leadership notebooks to help students set academic and personal behavior goals to track their learning progress
- Provide more opportunities for student leadership
- Implement action plans created by the Lighthouse team in the following areas: Leadership, Environment, and Traditions.
Year 3+Goals:
- Continuous improvement efforts to ensure the new leadership culture is sustainable long term
