Empowering Educatorsand StudentsThrough Self-Leadership
NURTUREPOTENTIAL:
Embracingaholisticapproach, recognizingthebrillianceofevery learner.
INSPIRINGGROWTH:
Tailoredsolutions,rootedin The7Habitsforstudentsfrom kindergartentouniversity.
STRENGTHEN CULTURE:
Cultivateacultureofcontinuous learning,teamwork,andresilience
Self-leadershipwasthe keytochangingthe schoolcultureand unleashingstudents' imaginationand abilities...
As I walked step by step towards the centre of the stage to deliver my speech during our morning assembly, my heart pounded faster and faster. I became increasingly intimidated as I realized that both my teachers and schoolmates were watching me. I kept repeating to myself, "I can't believe I'm doing this!" Courage! Go for it! "Eventually, I managed to accomplish the mission, which was three million lightyears outside my comfort zone." But how would I even pluck up my courage to do this? This is all thanks to the Seven Habits Workshop I attended in February.
In the beginning, I was appalled to discover that each session lasted for two hours, with some even extending up to four hours. I thought that this was a dull workshop without any creative or useful tips. To my great surprise, the habits mentioned in the success guide were concrete, feasible, and inspirational. Our tutor was considerate and guided us throughout the entire workshop. He played thought-provoking games with us to ensure that we thoroughly understood the concepts. I am really glad that I joined this workshop.
In the workshop, I learned about the concepts about private victory and public victory. The most impressive habits of private victory are the first and third ones. The first habit is to Be Proactive. Life is moving so fast that I react instantly to everything out of sheer habit. However, this may cause unknown or even severe consequences. I learnt that I should first pause to think about how I want to respond and take responsibility for our choices afterwards.
The third habit is to Put First Things First.We analyzed our time management by using the four quadrants. This classification is based on whether it is important, urgent, both, or neither. To be the most e cient, I should plan weekly, set a main goal for each week, adapt daily, and engage in consolidation. At first, I was very skeptical about this habit because I had heard about this time management method for countless times. I always lacked self-discipline and persistence, which made me unwilling to adopt this seemingly impossible habit. I often found myself being too lazy to prioritize and complete tasks that I deemed to be the most important and urgent.
I always preferred to stay inside my comfort zone, surrounded by all the things I was accustomed to. Fortunately, I was then taught about the comfort zone and the courage zone. Our tutor advised us not to allow our fears to dictate our decisions. Although there were uncertainties, pressures, changes, and the possibility of failure in the courage zone, this territory was also a place to pursue opportunities and reach my full potential. Actually, all great and risky deeds, whether performed by famous individuals or ordinary people, were accomplished despite the presence of fear. With the quote "Feel the fear and do it anyway" in mind, I mustered up the courage to parachute into my courage zone and deliver my speech to the entire school during the morning assembly for the first time after the workshop ended.
After mastering myself, it is time to master relationships with others. Public victory can help me become interdependent and work cooperatively with others, ultimately leading to becoming a leader. I learnt a practical way to manage my relationships with others, and it is called the Relationship Bank Account. To maintain a healthy and strong relationship, steady deposits must be made over a long period. Keeping small commitments and promises is vital for building trust and adding deposits to my Relationship Bank Account (RBA). After the lesson, I was able to utilize it to mend damaged relationships. Through WhatsApp, I repaired my relationship with my P4 friend whom I had not met for a long time. Deposit by deposit, I struck up new conversations with him, and our friendship was rekindled.
Furthermore, I learned about thinking win-win. There are four paradigms, including Win-Lose, Lose-Win, Lose-Lose, and finally Win-Win. In order to achieve a win-win situation, we must establish a foundation of personal security and avoid competing or comparing. We should listen to others' voices and find the best solution that is suitable for everyone. In one of the lessons, we were assigned a task to role-play a situation where we had to create a win-win outcome within a limited time. Not only did it improve my communication skills, but it also enhanced my English speaking ability. This was a memorable experience for me.
At last, I have gained an understanding of some essential communication skills that will benefit me throughout my lifetime. In order to practice genuine listening, I must listen with both my eyes, heart and ears. Listening with
just our ears isn't good enough, as only 7 percent of communication is contained in the words we use. Moreover, I need to put myself in other's shoes to see the world from their perspective and try to empathize with their emotions. Another interesting and e ective way to practice is through mirroring. Di erent from mimicking, mirroring involves expressing the same meaning using my own words, while maintaining a warm and caring tone, rather than simply repeating the words verbatim. Overall, this workshop is absolutely eye-opening and informative. It will serve as my guide to success, helping me become increasingly e ective in the years to come. After attending this workshop, I have some advice for readers. If you find that you are indulging in your comfort zone, it is high time that you pushed your doubts aside and ventured into the world of the courage zone. Don't let your fears make your decisions! If you have managed to do this, I am confident that you are already on the path to success.
Thisworkshopis absolutelyeyeopening...Itwillserve asmyguidetosuccess.
Ijoinedaworkshoporganizedbyourschoolcalled "7HabitsWorkshop."Thefocuswasonthe7 habitsfromSeanCovey'sbook"The7Habitsof HighlyE ectiveTeens."Isawthisworkshopasan opportunityforpersonalgrowth,andleftwithlifechanginginsights.Welearntabout7habitsthat canhelpimproveourselves:beingproactive, puttingfirstthingsfirst,thinkingwin-win,seeking firsttounderstand,thentobeunderstood, synergizingandlastly,sharpeningthesaw.
Thefirstsessionfocusedonbeingproactive.I realizedhowmuchofavictimmindsetIhadblamingothersformyproblems.Theworkshop taughtmetotakeresponsibility,seeproblemsas opportunities,andmakebetterchoices.Iget stressedeasilybeforeexams,andIusuallylashout atothersforthetiniestthings,butafter completingtheworkshop,Istudyhardinsteadof blamingothersformystressfortheexam.
Nextwestudied"Beginningwiththeendinmind." Icreatedapersonalmissionstatementwithshort andlongtermgoals.Seeingmygoalswrittendown mademerealizehowunclearmyvisionforthe futurewouldbe.Settinggoalsgavememotivation toworkharder.Forexample,Isetagoalafter completingtheworkshoptogetatleastabove70 inscienceandImadeastudyplantoachievethat. I'vebeenstickingtomystudyplanandIhave achievedmygoal.
Whenwecovered"Puttingfirstthingsfirst,"the teachermadeusanalyzehowwespendourtime daily.IwasshockedtoseehowmuchtimeI wastedonsocialmediaandTV.Ilearned techniquestomanagemyschedulebetterand prioritizeimportanttasks.Myschedulefor everydayisusuallymessedup,buttheworkshop helpedmeorganizemyprioritiesandscheduleto focusonwhatreallymattered.
Thehabitof"Thinkingwin-win"helpedme understandconflictsinanewway.Ilearnedthat tosolveconflicts,bothsidesneedtofindamiddle groundwhereeveryonewon.Thishelpedimprove myrelationshipswithfamilyandfriends.
Thisbecameusefulduringourscienceproject.I listenedtoideasfromeveryoneinmygroup,and wealldecidedtopickoneweallagreedon.This helpedstopanydisagreementsandarguments.
Thefifthhabit,"Seekfirsttounderstand,thento beunderstood,"taughtmetheimportanceof activelistening.Ilearnedtolistenwithout judgmentandtorestatewhattheotherperson saidtocheckmyunderstanding.Thisskillhas improvedallmyrelationshipsas peoplefeelheardandrespected whentalkingtome.
Thehabitof"Synergizing,"or valuingthedi erencesofothers, showedmehowtoworkwellona team.Ilearnedthecrucialrole cooperationandcompromisehave playedinanysuccessfulgroup. Applyingthisatschoolandwith friendshasallowedustoachieve moretogetherthananyofusdoes italone.Whileworkingonthescienceproject afterwards,weassigneddi erentrolestoeach personbasedontheirstrengths.Thishelpedus workonwhatwewerebestatandbringagreater endresult.
Ifeelmorein mychoices, andrelationships.
Finally,"Sharpeningthesaw,"orrenewingmyself, taughtmetheimportanceofbalance.Inowmake timeforexercise,hobbiesandrestasmuchasIdo forschoolworkandextracurricularactivities. Reflectingdailyinmyjournalhasbecomeahabit thatrenewsmyspiritandmotivation.Irealizethe importanceofabreakandnowImaketimefor recreationandhobbiestoavoidburnout andstaybalanced.
Masteringthese7habitshastransformedmy perspectiveandapproachtolife.Ifeelmorein controlofmychoices,actionsandrelationships. Mymotivation,self-confidenceandtime managementhaveallimproveddrastically. Implementingthesesimpleyetpowerfulhabits hastrulymademeamore"highlye ectiveteen."
In a city where education quality varies across schools, one student stands out as a beacon of hope for underprivileged students in Hong Kong. Meet Rachel Luo, a remarkable young leader who used her programming talents to bridge the educational gap and empower her community. Rachel's commitment to providing tutoring services to those in need showcases her exceptional leadership abilities and her dedication to making a positive impact.
Rachelrecognizedthe disparityineducational opportunitiesandfirmly believedintheimportanceof equalaccess toquality education.Sheobserves:
"There'sstilla di erence betweenthequalityof educationprovidedby di erent schools." With this conviction, she embarked on a mission to o er tutoring services to underprivileged students in the community.
Together with her team, Rachel devised a curriculum to teach coding in a fun and interactive manner, utilizing popular programming languages such as Scratch and Python. From September to June, they conducted weekly sessions, introducing coding skills to enthusiastic learners. Rachel understood that building a solid foundation in coding would equip these students with valuable skills for their future endeavors.
Throughout the tutoring sessions, Rachel gained invaluable life lessons. She realized that patience is key when engaging with learners who learn di erently. This experience fostered her empathy and taught her the value of collaboration.
Rachel and her team learned to delegate tasks based on individual strengths, ensuring that everyone contributed meaningfully to the project.
Rachel and her team also developed the discipline of setting clear goals. By outlining measurable objectives and developing actionable steps, they guided their peers towards achieving success. Rachel herself reflects on this lesson, acknowledging the significance of goal setting for ensuring the success of any endeavor.
Rachel's inspiring initiative showcases her remarkable leadership abilities and her genuine desire to make a di erence. Her dedication to serving underprivileged students through programming education is a testament to her compassion and commitment to equality. Rachel's story serves as a beacon of encouragement, reminding us of the incredible potential within young individuals to e ect positive change. This is the Leader in Me vision in action: students leading themselves and leading others.
Her leadership and selflessness exemplify the transformative power of education and the ability to create a brighter future for all. As we celebrate Rachel's achievements, we are inspired to support and nurture more young leaders who will shape our city with compassion and dedication.
Rachel is a Grand Prize Winner of the 2023 Leader in Me International Speech Contest
Since September 2020, the Escola Oficial de Seac Pai Van in Macau has implemented self-leadership education. In the more than two years of implementation, the school felt that self-leadership was the key to changing the school culture and unleashing students' imagination and abilities.
"Leadership Day" is a showcase day for selfleadership education. Escola Oficial de Seac Pai Van has organized Leadership Day activities in May for the past two years, with the main purpose of empowering students to plan and lead activities, practicing and demonstrating their leadership abilities. On Leadership Day, students cultivate their confidence and leadership skills, and parents were introduced to the 7 Habits, gaining an understanding of how the school promotes selfleadership education.
For the 2021/2022 academic year's Leadership Day, the activities were mainly conducted through two forms: parent lectures and booth games. The content of the lecture introduced self-leadership education, allowing parents to understand the school's educational direction and apply the 7 Habits in daily life. Each first and second grade class was responsible for a booth game related to the 7 Habits.
The homeroom teachers played the role of coordinating and planning, promoting students to brainstorm game content, design, and manpower allocation. The third-grade students were assigned di erent roles to support di erent tasks, such as designing game paper, supporting first and secondgrade students in making props, serving as emcees and brainstorming emcee scripts, and supporting venue decoration, goodwill ambassadors, and venue cleanup.
For the 2021/2022 academic year's activities, students planned and executed the activities for the first time. While this proved to be challenging for many students at times, and teachers needed to step in, this process is essential for student growth.
self-leadership keytochangin schoolcultur unleashingstudents' imagination abilities.
Since the implementation of self-leadership education, the Escola Oficial de Seac Pai Van has attached great importance to cultivating "little leaders," emphasizing that students should learn to take care of themselves first and then take care of others, moving from personal success to public success, and cultivating a spirit of autonomy and cooperation. In setting up small leadership positions, the school advocates the service philosophy of "one person, one position."
Small leadership positions are generally divided into daily work and special services. Daily work includes daily duty, such as morning, break, lunch, and nap time, as well as positions such as subject representatives, team leaders, and student teachers. Special services are for students with special leadership talents, allowing them to showcase their talents on a larger stage, such as emcees for various celebrations, design and organization o cers for Leadership Day, library ambassadors, and flagraising team members.
The school highly values the service of small leaders. In addition to holding a simple and grand commendation ceremony for them, students receive "merit" rewards recorded in their transcripts to encourage them. When a student becomes a new small leader, the previous student leaders will also play a helpful role, guiding the new leader on how to complete tasks and become a good role model for their classmates.
-leadershipwasthe hangingthe cultureand unleashingstudents' ationand
There is a Chinese saying:
"Teaching by example is better than teaching by words, and teaching by environment is better than teaching by example."Escola Oficial de Seac Pai Van
attaches great importance to the influence of the environment on children's thinking. Environment education is like a living teacher that can silently influence and change students, allowing them cultivate positive behavior and develop good habits from the positive environment. At the beginning of the 2021/2022 academic year, the teachers decorated the school with warmth and beauty, and posted decorations and statements related to "self-leadership education" to create a positive and friendly learning atmosphere throughout the campus. Teachers regularly change the decorations and theme based on the seasons and lead the students to decorate the campus together, creating a strong, warm, and enjoyable learning atmosphere and campus culture.
The school firmly believes that people will perform better in a highly e fficient environment. Positive habits can create a good environment, and a good environment can help us cultivate good habits.
"A country should have its own values, people should have their own values, and schools should also have their own values. Only in this way can we unite people's hearts and work together for a common goal." Escola Oficial de Seac Pai Van takes the seven habits as its values and firmly believes that "once the seven habits are developed, discipline issues with students are no longer a problem. Teachers can focus on teaching without having to constantly respond to disciplinary issues."
Let us witness the growth of Macau's first 7 Habits school together!
We continue to use Leader in Me alongside positive education as a blueprint for personal growth, forming an important foundation for character development. Students learn about these concepts in their classes and put them into practice in their daily lives.
In addition to promoting the creation of classroom mission statements and emotional bank accounts, last year we launched an initiative to provide students with more opportunities to share their achievements. Students share from their daily lives, showcasing their growth and leadership development.
- Munsung College Primary School
The transformative 7 Habits course is tailor-made for passionate educators who aspire to make a lasting difference. Through a series of interactive modules, you and your team will unlock the secrets to effective time management, goal setting, and proactive communication. Discover how to cultivate self-leadership and continuous improvement within your school.
Based on timeless principles, this course equips young people with essential skills such as goal setting, time management, and effective communication. Through interactive workshops and engaging activities, students will develop selfconfidence, resilience, and leadership abilities. Give your teenagers the tools they need to excel in school and beyond by enrolling them in this transformative program today.
Leader in Me is a leadership model that provides schools with everything they need to build leadership and life skills in students and staff to create high-trust cultures and accelerate academic achievement.
