The seven habits outline goals for students in order to show leadership. Students learn that through practicing the seven habits, they are becoming effective leaders and in turn, growing both personally and academically. Within my classroom, I utilize the posters (shown to the left) to remind students of the seven habits on a daily basis. Each habit is accompanied by a quick description that help students recall and apply the principles of each practice. The seven habits are the basis of all goal setting and social emotional learning within the classroom.

To begin the year, students learn about the most important muscle in the human body, the brain! Students learn that our brains are capable of constantly growing and adapting to our environment and experiences. We discuss the different functions of the brain and how this effects our mindset. Students complete activities through Google Slides to exercise the brain and reflect on their learning and findings. Students love learning about the science behind the brain and how complex it can be! 

To the right is the lesson developed to teach the students about "The Boss".

The First 8 Days is a process embedded within the Leader In Me curriculum. Alongside my grade team, we developed lessons that help build a positive classroom community while also exposing students to the seven habits and how we can utilize them in our everyday lives. The First 8 Day lessons utilize classroom team building activities, discussions, and culturally responsive read alouds that connect to the seven habits. 

To the left are the First 8 Days lessons we developed as a third grade team. 

In order to "Begin With The End in Mind", everyday students are asked to generate a goal utilizing a principle we have learned through Leader In Me. Students write their goal for the day on a post-it and stick it to their name plate on their desk. At the end of the day, students are asked to reflect upon progress towards their goal.

To the right is an example of a students' daily goal.

Students began utilizing Leadership Portfolios to track progress and celebrate their successes and achievements. Within the portfolios are three sections:

• Myself - In this section, students complete a profile with their favorite things and information they'd like people to know about them. 

• My WIGs - WIGs stands for "Wildly Important Goals". Students use this section to begin with the end in mind and set long term goals for their learning. Students focus their goals around three main areas - personal, reading, and math. Students set their goal, a time frame, and strategies they will utilize to achieve this goal.

• My Celebrations - In this section, students include any personal artifacts they would like to celebrate.

Student Leadership Portfolios are used to share with families personal progress and accomplishments.

To the left is an example of a Student Leadership Porfolio.

In order to monitor student progress and set purpose for instruction, I have worked with my grade team members in order to create Action Plans. Action Plans help us identify specific behaviors and how we can help our students acheieve them, utilizing the principles taught through Leader In Me. Action Plans have helped keep SEL instruction intentional and student-based in order to provide the greatest chance for success. To the right is an example of a 4th Grade Action Plan.