Covey Remarks and Responses

-- Anonymous, November 04, 1998

Answers

kswenson@rainy.r.r.cc.mn.us) on November 03, 1998. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Covey Comments Chapter 31, pp. 302-312 Principle-Centered Leadership Environments Submitted by Dawn Schindeldecker

Coveys book, Principle-Centered Leadership, discusses information that can help anyone to improve their professional, as well as their personal life, through hard work and dedication. More work than some people might be willing to go through, unfortunately.

The chapter I enjoyed most was on Principle-Centered Learning Environments. I agree that education often is looked upon as the cure-all for what children lack in other parts of their lives, then criticized when these children dont grow up successful. Covey suggests that through patience, empathy, and careful guidance teachers can create an environment which builds internal character. The responsibility of learning is then placed on the student rather than the teacher. The student will hopefully start to display traits of integrity and self-confidence which will lead to students who feel good about themselves, who want to get involved, and who want to get the best learning experience they can. One way we can start to accomplish this is by getting students, at an early age, actively involved in activities which model these characteristics. Students then get to see the advantages, as well as the disadvantages, before they are faced with real dilemmas. The DARE program, which we are fortunate to have in our sixth grade curriculum, provides an excellent opportunity for students to role-play, ask questions, hear about select cases, discover options, and finally, form opinions of their own as far as drug use. I feel that teachers who use programs like these in their classrooms will see worthwhile results for their students, as well as themselves.

Answered by Dawn Schindeldecker (dawnmarie55@yahoo.com) on November 03, 1998.

-- Anonymous, November 12, 1998