Now we are ready to go a little deeper into each habit. For the next 2 weeks we will be focusing on Habit #1: Being Proactive.
As a mom of 1st graders, this is where my mom hat and my teacher hat are pretty interchangeable...it is SO empowering to KNOW what the teachers are teaching...and I USE it...I mean, poor Mrs. Gilliam (our principal) and Mrs. Gahan (TnTs sweet teacher) were in our house a WHOLE lot this weekend...figuratively! Those amazing ladies were out of my "mom pocket", when one of my boys needed to think of what they would tell him if they saw him struggling with needing to choose a better attitude about just TRYING to ride his bike with no training wheels (we took them off a few months ago, before the temperatures here soared over 100 and stayed there!) and again when that same boy picked up toys he hadn't played with and hadn't been asked to clean up...that time he was reminded how proud they would be to see him do what was right with out being asked! Later on during the weekend, my other son (who maybe it is fair to say is more naturally 'gifted' in proactive-ness (he gets it from his daddy!)) looked at me, when he started to lay his book baggy book on the coffee table, and then stopped himself and said, "I should really put that back where it goes, so I don't lose it!"
For the next two weeks, we will be noticing when friends in our class are proactive, when characters in books show that trait, and brainstorm ways that we show that we are proactive. My little class of sweet hearts will learn that when a person is proactive they:
- Take initiative.
- Are responsible.
- Know that they choose their actions, attitudes, and moods.
- Do not blame others for their mistakes.
- Do the right thing without being asked (even when no one else is looking!).
I hope that all parents (not just my group of students) will begin to think about ways that they can help their children become more proactive. Think about how great it would be if ALL of our kids grew up and did these things!??!? I know…pretty awesome, huh??
