Natalie Priester
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Habit #6: Synergize

10/4/2015

1 Comment

 
My Habit
In addition to English, I also teach yearbook and leadership classes.  As I work with students in these elective courses, a need for collaborative decision-making often arises.  I intentionally empower the students participate in meaningful activities that require decision-making.  Most of the time, I work with them, and sometimes am even fortunate to simply follow their lead, as we plan events and create the yearbook.  However, conflicts occasionally arise between my expectations and theirs.  Since I intend to settle conflicts without taking away their voices and power, I attempted to follow Covey’s Habit #6: Synergize.

Our interactions often follow the synergy action plan.  Last week, a class discussion led us through the steps when the students in leadership class asked to play music at lunch everyday instead of only on the days of special events.  I listened as they explained why they should play music daily: fun, engaging, uplifting, entertaining, and community-building.  I spoke on behalf of the adults in the cafeteria (all of the adults on-shift during lunch also eat in the cafeteria with the students).  I explained that the volume prevented conversations, sometimes the lyrics are inappropriate, and the noise and activity is insensitive to the needs of introverts who do not have anywhere else to go to recharge.  We brainstormed and all offered potential solutions.  The next day, we solidified our plan to make lunchtime music a routine: mellow music on Tuesday, upbeat music on Thursday, censored playlists, and appropriate volume to allow conversations.  By working with my student-leaders instead of just compromising on our expectations, we were able to create a solution which benefits many members of our campus community.

Teaching the Habit
When I shared Habit #6 with Damon over our last few bits of sushi, he expressed concern; he said that he rarely participates in interactions that require working with others to find a  solution.  After attempting to see areas of collaboration in his workplace, school, and friendships, he suggested that is may apply to his favorite setting--playing the massive multiplayer online role-playing game, Runescape.  He said he recently began using teamspeak to strategize with other players to prepare for a new game feature.  He said he can use the synergy action plan to create truly collaborative strategic plans. I am glad we were able to find a situation in which synergy can apply to life, but I also hope that he will be able to experience more face-to-face collaborative decision making problem solving.
1 Comment
Lili Greenlaw
10/15/2015 07:02:48 pm

I like the fact that you intentionally empower your students. It’s great in the long run for both you and the students. Starting a school year with the notion of independence sets a really good tone and high expectations for the rest of the school year.

I like your approach to coming up with a solution regarding music at lunch; taking the time to express the concerns of others in the lunchroom in a way that the students could see it in the perspective of others.

As for Damon, it seems the norm for students of the younger generation to (in a way…) physically isolate themselves behind a game or program in which they do have interactions with other humans. I have noticed that they consider this to be their social interaction for the day and that is completely acceptable (in their eyes anyway). But then again, with changes in the way we connect with others, perhaps this is the new acceptable norm? It should be interesting in the next decade, or so, to see where all this technology puts our social norms.

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    Habits Module

    @npriester

    A collection of my learning from the Habits Module of EDL 610 Educational Leadership in PreK-12 Educational Organizations 

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