Habits 1 - 3 had to do with “private victories,” with an internal focus. With “Be Proactive,” I remind myself that I am responsible for choices I make and the direction of my life. I am the driver. Habit 2, “Begin with the End in Mind,” reminds me to write down my short and long term goals. Habit 3, “Put First Things First,” helps me to prioritize the most important things in my life; then spend most of my time on those items and not trivial matters. This week’s habit is called “Think Win-Win.” Instead of focusing within, I will focus outside of self and work on relationships with others. In my work environment, I do a good job making connections and take time to talk with my colleagues/students about teaching and non-teaching matters. I’m friendly, provide a listening ear, and help when I can. Effective leaders are conscious of how they relate to others in their sphere of influence. I can’t help but think about a politician, who shakes hands and takes pictures with babies. But unlike a politician, an effective leader sincerely wants to build relationships and doesn’t try to beat the other person. The idea of a “win - win” relationship, is that instead of one or the other being a loser, you try to have mutually beneficial results. The workplace can be a competitive place. People try to outshine and outdo others, so they can move up the ladder. Sometimes, there are obvious winners and losers. As a leader, it’s important to find the outside the box solution - the thing that will make both parties happy. Personally, I think that I do well in this arena. In my 9 years of teaching, I have worked with difficult people who challenge me. I learned from those interactions. As a leader, I’ll continue investing in relationships. I’ll be courteous, actively listen, and ensure that my expectations are clear. I know the importance of building a leadership team and having a community (teachers and staff) that works together for the betterment of students. As a TOSA, I attend monthly collaborative meetings. I enjoy networking with other service providers. When I announce that I help teachers connect with guest speakers, I get wonderful summaries about what each organization does. Hands down, this is the best part of the meeting - the end, when we exchange business cards. As a teacher, I find myself functioning as a counselor, social worker, cheerleader, mediator, etc. Whenever there is a problem with a student, I address is with light humor. Usually this communicates the issue while not shaming them. If it requires more attention, I talk to the student privately. I emphasize that the classroom environment needs to be as free from distractions as possible. I learn my students’ names. I ask about their families. I try to find out what is important to each of them. On the other hand, while I am so busy with work relationships, I have neglected nurturing friendships. I have done pitifully in this area. Beyond Facebook and texting, I go months or years without seeing some of my closest friends. When I think about this it makes me sad. I know I can do better. My goal is to spend time with three friends before Christmas. I’ve thought about them, emailed, texted, and called. In some cases, we’ve scheduled and rescheduled. But, I will make every effort for this to happen this time. With the colleague I’m coaching, I’ll share my ideas and goals. I will ask her what relationships (work or otherwise) she has neglected. I’ll challenge her to do something similar; then, follow up for the results.
3 Comments
Hello, my name is Sheila; and I have not mastered time management. I’m learning more and more that if I don’t get control of my time, time will get away from me. As an example, I got home from a tiring day of work, plopped on the couch and turned on Netflix. Before I knew it, I had watched two entire movies. That’s 4 hours wasted! On the flip side, I have moments when I am extremely productive with my time. But, this is usually under the pressure of a deadline. Most people would not guess that I struggle with this because I am productive, helpful, and resourceful. I go out of my way to help students when they ask for help. But, sometimes I offer help when it’s not requested. I think this is something I need to stop because I have so many other urgent things that require my time. I have a husband, four children at home, three pets, a home, two different job titles, and I give time to my church. I am a volunteeroholic. Last year, I served on School Site Council at my daughter’s middle school and I served on our CCAE Committee at work. At my school, I volunteer often. I am proud to say that I am not serving on any committees this year. I made a conscious effort to make this change while I am in this Master’s program. I also turned down 2 teaching nights - a decision I hope I don’t regret later. What I don’t have is much of a social life. I wish I could change this. I find myself too often in Quadrant 1 because I don’t stick to my time management plans. I let distractions pull me away from important work. This has led to stress and a couple ER visits over the summer, which is why I set my health-centered goals - better eating, regular exercise, adequate sleep, etc. My desire is to be more in Quadrant 2 - where the most highly effective people are - so that my time is planned more carefully and I can get more done without as much stress. So, how can I improve my time management? First, I need to list what things are most important to me - identify the big rocks. Then, I need to schedule blocks of time daily for each of those things. Next, I need to start back using my journal to track my progress. Finally, I need to consult others who are good at time-management, like Andrea Jacobs, and ask for other strategies. While I am developing these new habits, I need someone to help keep me accountable. Being Proactive (Habit 1) and Beginning With the End in Mind (Habit 2) are important. However, “Doing First Things First” - prioritizing what’s important and focusing my time there” is critical for me to reach my goals. If I master time-management, I will improve my own life. But, I’ll also have an opportunity to teach those in my circle of influence starting with my household.
CLASSROOM GOALS
As an educator and leader, it’s important that I solidify my vision. This means that I will develop, verbalize, and put in writing my goals. I’ve been a teacher for nine years and I’ve had goals, but this is the first time that I’ve spelled them out. Here are 5 goals for my class, followed by an explanation: 1. Provide a teaching environment that is welcoming, fun, and interactive. Adult School is not like K-12. If the students don’t think the class meets their needs, it is very easy for them to switch classes or never come back. I learned early on that Adult School should be fun as well as educational. 2. Help improve their English writing, reading, listening, and speaking skills. In my Level 0 - 3 ESL class, students have a wide range of needs. Some speak well, but have trouble reading. Some read well, but have trouble speaking. Some have been in school before, some have not. My objective is to see where they are and help them move up the ladder. 3. Expose and teach students about U.S. culture, while learning about their cultures. The large majority of my students are refugees from Iraq and are new to the country. Often, I am the first American that they get to know. In the midst of a lesson, I’ll ask them “Is this the same in your country?” and it develops into rich cultural compare and contrast discussions. 4. Teach students life skills. We have a lot of freedom to meet students needs in this area. So, after, I do a survey and see where interests lie, we do lessons on: citizenship, job skills, making doctor appointments, building credit, driving, domestic violence prevention, etc. 5. Give students confidence to try new things outside of their comfort zone. My students live in El Cajon - "the box"; and some never leave the box. This is because they don’t drive on the freeway or they are afraid to go outside of their comfort zone. Having lived overseas for 10 years, I have trouble wrapping my mind around this. I am always pushing them to do something they have not done before - use technology, visit the library regularly, make friends with their English speaking neighbor, and take advantage of learning opportunities. ESL students at this level tend to lack confidence in their skills. My job is to build them up. PROFESSIONAL GOALS My short-term career goals are: 1. improve upon my leadership of the PLC group I facilitate, 2. get more organized to be more effective in my day-to-day work, 3. look for and engage in opportunities to strengthen my leadership skills, 4. continue shadowing Principals and learning from accessible experts 5. share what I learn with my colleagues or anyone in my circle of influence. My long-term goal is to obtain a full-time Admin position in San Diego. COACHING SESSION Today, I got a written and verbal report from my colleague on how she implemented her “Reactive and Proactive” fitness goals. Then, I taught her Habit 2: having an end goal. She identified an art show that she would like to enter and explained the steps involved. Next week, we’ll meet to discuss her progress.
Background
I began my journey with GUHSD when I was 19 years old as an IA. Then, I left to finish school, start a family, and do life. I came back to GUHSD as an Adult Ed teacher in 2006. The funny thing is that I tried to run from teaching because “teachers don’t get paid enough” and while I still believe that to be true, it turns out that you cannot outrun your calling. Reflection and My Changes I love my job. Every day is different and my work has been rewarding. But there are times when I have been overworked, over-stressed, or had to deal with difficult people. What most appeals to me about Habit 1, as Dr. Pumpian presented it, is that we have control over certain things. We control our thoughts, our words, and our behavior. My change is that I will take better care of myself by getting adequate sleep, taking time for myself, walking or gardening, and eating better. I know that this will help me because when I’m not healthy, I’m not as effective at work… or anywhere else. Plan to Teach I have selected a fellow ESL Teacher to share the seven habits with. We will meet every Friday afternoon at the office. I’ll share the lesson with her and ask her to explain it to me. Then, I’ll ask how she can implement the lesson in her life. The following week, I’ll ask for a verbal or written report about her progress. Resource HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE - THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE BY STEPHEN COVEY BOOK REVIEW. (2014, October 11). Retrieved September 2, 2015. |
Details
Sheila L. DavisPassionate Adult ESL Instructor at Grossmont Adult School. Seeking to learn new habits and unlearn bad ones. ArchivesCategories |