Habit+7+-+Sharpen+the+Saw



**__Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw__**

· Take care of your body be eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep · Spend time with family and friends · Learn in lots of ways and lots of places……(not just here at school or town or Choctaw County) · Take time to find meaningful ways to help others


 * Overview by Coach Manuel and Coach Whitlock **

What does it mean to **Sharpen the Saw**? It is simply an analogy favoured by Stephen Covey: you are the saw; and so Sharpening the Saw is about improving yourself. To Sharpen the Saw is to become better, keener and more effective. When you take the time to Sharpen the Saw, you become a highly effective person. What is meant by Sharpening the Saw is to regularly engage in the exercise of the three dimensions which make up the human condition: body, mind and spirit.



** __Katie:__ You can clearly see that these Habits are the universal principles of kindness and compassion that we have been taught and have tried to attain. Some of these are included in the book, Life’s Little Instructional Manual. When we model these behaviors, they will spread out and hopefully we can make our little part of the world a better place. ** ** BTW - Exercise is wonderful for relieving stress!! **


 * __Katie:__ Great job, Coaches!! **

Jacqui - I think Glenda said it during session five - somewhere we lost the habit of being kind to each other and we need to get it back. The Leader in Me is just a way to focus our attention on the goal of modeling acceptable behavior. Our students learn from us, so we can intentionally teach them something good, or unintentionally let them continue to model bad habits.

Whitlock- I can refer back to the beginning of the year when I first started teaching here at SCES...I came here in pretty good shape feeling good about my health and very excited about the possibilities. I even remember talking during my interview about "practicing what I preach." Somewhere along the way around Christmas time I lost the balance in my life. I didn't feel as good as I had and actually remember a teacher telling me that I wasn't smiling as much anymore. When I evaluated my life I came to the conclusion that I wasn't eating like I had been, my exercise had fallen off, I was staying up later at night, and had stopped making those 3 or 4 calls a week back home to my family. Once I started to put those things back in motion my whole demeanor changed for the positive. I really feel that when I seem positive and upbeat the kids notice and can follow suit. I feel very strong about the importance of habit 7 because it is directly related to my specific academic field.

Sissy and Mrs. White- Sharpen the Saw keeps you fresh so you can continue to practice the other six habits. Often times I forget to sharpen me and I get stale and stagnant when I need to be fresh and fulfilling at my work place

Somar- Actions speak louder than words and our children/students will do what they see more than what they are told to do!

Glenda - Sometimes we forget that we are the only positive role model that our students have, and if we don't model kindness and compassion then Who Will? We have to be very careful sometimes in what we say and how we say it so that we can be firm, but still show kindness and compassion. Again Model! Model! Model!

Carol - A dull saw will not cut. If we are not sharp, then we are not doing our job effectively. We are role models for our students and if they see the best, then hopefuly they will emulate the good habits we demonstrate.

Zeda- Again I have to applaud Carol. This is something that //I really feel is important and the students see this in everyone at this school.//

Lisa Nordan- We have to take time for ourselves. Many teachers push themselves. We take care of everyone else. Following Habit 7 will make you a better teacher.

Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have--you. Feeling good doesn't just happen. Living a life in balance means taking the necessary time to renew yourself. It's all up to you. You can renew yourself through relaxation. Or you can totally burn yourself out by overdoing everything. You can pamper yourself mentally and spiritually. Or you can go through life oblivious to your well-being. You can experience vibrant energy. Or you can procrastinate and miss out on the benefits of good health and exercise. You can revitalize yourself and face a new day in peace and harmony. Or you can wake up in the morning full of apathy because your get-up-and-go has got-up-and-gone. Just remember that every day provides a new opportunity for renewal--a new opportunity to recharge yourself instead of totally "cracking up."
 * Tonya "Mrs. Incredible" Harris **

David Lewis Think about it! The single most important asset you possess…is YOU! Habit 7 demands that you take care of it. If you neglect this part, you can forget about the rest.

Liz - Choosing a day or time to relax and rejuvenate sounds like a winner when it comes to the point of overwhelming ourselves with things in life. We sometimes burn ourselves out by continuously doing the same thing over and over and no successful results are visible. We will find that in order for us to become more productive we must study and learn new techniques and learn from others.

Gibson, P. Help!! Every summer, I say I am going to lose weight, eat right, and exercise. This is one goal I definitely need to work on!! Look out Zumba, Here I come! When you are happy with yourself, you venture out and explore.

Linda- When we keep our bodies and minds energized we are able to perform better and become classic role models for our students.

Michelle - Sharpening the "saw" - ourselves can be more difficult than we imagine. I start off with good intentions and end up right back on Dr. Pepper and in a size 14!!!! But if we do not take care of ourselves, we will not feel our best to serve our students.....and that's the true disservice.

Gladys, Regina, and Kim You must take time for yourself. YOU MUST EAT RIGHT, EXERCISE AND GET PLENTY OF REST!!!! WOW!!!! What a task. If we don't do these things, we will have bad attitudes and mood swings. Parents are sending the best they have to us. We need to SHARPEN THE SAW so we can be prepared for the day. We need to have a pleasant and loving environment for our students and coworkers.

Denise: I have finally begun to learn how to take time for myself without feeling guilty. I used to think that I needed to spend all my spare time preparing for school and/or doing for my family and friends. Now that I take time out for myself, I feel less stressed.

Sandra - You can never go wrong by killing someone with kindness. This book allows us to refocus on being kind to one another but also to ourselves. My friends tell me that I never take care of myself and need to slow down. I think God showed up and reminded me of this once in December with back surgery and again in March with the heart attack....and bypass surgery. I have learned that if I do not take care of myself, things do not get done as I want them to because I am picky about how I want things done. So, I must rest, I must take care of myself.

Pam Mc., Bobbie Mac., & Charity - We feel that it's important to keep our skills refined and our minds and bodies refreshed. As parents and educators, we always expect our kids to do their best. So it's important for us to lead by example and keep our "saws sharpened".

**Emily Martin- Taking care of yourself is so important. When I eat right, exercise, and get a good night's sleep, I am so much more productive (and not as crabby, too!) In today's world, we leave ourselves out of our life so many times. Eventually, our old self comes out from feeling left out. Our body can only take so much and then it can not do anymore. It is very important to take care of yourself, and by doing this, it will help others as well.**

**Demorrius- "Sharpen the saw" I made a pack with myself not to get "older" but get "better". I feel that we should continuously try to improve ourselves. We know what it takes to be in better shape, to be more educated, and to be more spiritually stable. We just have to continue to work and to improve in these areas.**

Willie-Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have--you. It means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical,social/emotional,mental,and spiritual.

Priscilla- I agree with Emily about the importance of taking care of ourselves. If I have a balanced program that includes my physical,social/emotional,mental, and spiritual aspects of life, then I have "Sharpened the Saw" and I will be able to find meaningful ways to help my family,friends,students, and co-workers.

Gwen, Patti, and Teresa We definitely agree that we need to do a better job of "Sharpening the Saw". It is easy for us to put ourselves last. We are going to try to do a better job of taking care of ourselves!!!

Becky G. - Great comments! This is something I definitely need to work on!

**Shelia - Keeping our minds sharp is crucial to our well-being. Being kind, having a good attitude, and smiling lots will help in the cooperation of all mankind. There is a commerical on TV that encourages us to work together and get along.** **BTW - Exercising is not only for my backside, it is mainly a stress reliever for me....but looking good is always a plus!**

Pam Moody - I agree that most of us put ourselves last. I am trying to do better at not feeling quilty when I take time to "Sharpen the Saw".