The Lighthouse Team is a group of teachers selected by the principal for their leadership roles in school clubs and organizations. They have yet to have student involvement; however, they do have plans. The team’s purpose is to oversee the application of the Leader In Me program.
“The Lighthouse Team is a group of teachers that were hand-selected by our principal based upon leadership roles that we hold in clubs and organizations in the school,” Amy Palfey said. “He Mr. Neely) felt like having leaders being on this Lighthouse [Committee] would be beneficial because what we’re looking into is staff leadership, but also eventually having students lead the school’s culture and the student goals and academics.”
The team had two meetings focusing on creating the student Lighthouse Team, but lacks momentum due to limited time and meetings.
“Our last meeting with the Lighthouse Team was very inspirational, and we had a lot of thoughts and plans put in place, in particular about the creation of the student Lighthouse Team,” Palfey said. “However, our last in-service was dedicated to a whole school Leader In Me workshop, so we didn’t get to meet with our Lighthouse Team specifically.”
The team consists of about 12 teachers and aims to involve a diverse group of students through teacher recommendations and interviews. Plans include using a Google Form to streamline the selection process. The goal, as teacher and Lighthouse team member Michael Baker says, is to “improve the climate and culture [of the school].”
“[The goal is to] make this a place that everyone wants to be: students, teachers, administrators, staff members,” Baker said. “Everything we do has that in mind: how can we improve the building?”
The improvement of the school began with Leader in Me classes, last year only being freshmen, but then the district decided it would be beneficial for all grades.
“Have an open line of communication with one another and do not be afraid to share ideas,” Baker said. “We’re excited when we can get the students involved to hear student ideas as well. When you hear those ideas, you have to be open to them. It’s one thing to let people say what they think, it’s another thing to consider what they’re saying as an option. The seven habits we have to keep in mind because they will also help us work as a team.”
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People include being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, putting things first, thinking win-win, seeking first to understand – then to be understood, synergizing and sharpening the saw.
“We obviously want students from all different academic levels and interest levels,” Baker said. “We want to be representative of the building, so we don’t want just all of the high flyer great academic students. We want everybody to be represented in the Lighthouse Team, so that is kind of where we left our last meeting: how do we then go about getting students so we do have equal representation on the student Lighthouse team.”
Effectively implementing the Leader in Me Program involved several steps.
“So it started off with making sure that our teachers understood and fully grasped those ideas that are central to leader in Me, and then after that was established and that groundwork was laid, it’s more what it becomes, how do teachers lead within the building so that our students are getting the most benefit and impact out of out of the Leader Me program and The Seven Habits,” Neely said. “ I’m excited to see what folks are able to come up with, as far as ways to promote the seven habits, but more importantly, ways to live out the seven habits as a school.”
For those involved with implementing the program, changing the school environment is part of the plan.
“I think Leader in Me as an entire philosophy and is very positive in my mind,” Neely said. “I look at the seven habits and there’s not a single one that if a person, whether it’s a student, teacher, whoever is trying to live that out that’s not going to have a positive impact on their life. I think the more people that are aware of the seven habits and are looking to sort of use those as a compass, if you will, for their choices, it’s going to make the school that much stronger. So I look at it as the Lighthouse Team trying to promote that and keep it at the forefront of everyone’s mind.”
Neely believes Leader in Me gives students a goal and structure that will help them over the course of their lives.
“It gives the school a common language and a common focus, which is important, but I think it’s about the individual,” Neely said. “There may be ideas or concepts or constructs that students haven’t thought of and when they’re presented these ideas and concepts and are given ways that they are lived out or can be lived out in their daily lives it’s massively impactful. Just the idea of putting first things first. If you take care of the most important things first, how that’s going to set you up for success. When you look at all those seven habits, it’s a pretty good compass to live your life by.”
