5 Steps to Having An Attitude of Excellence


Dennis Parker
at
Safe & Caring Schools Conference
November 27, 2004


"We cannot control what happens to us...
but we can control our reaction to it."
Viktor Frankl
(author and Holocaust survivor)


SUCCESS
...according to a Stanford University study...
is 8% (or less) APTITUDE and 92% ATTITUDE

...according to a Harvard University study...
is 15% (or less) APTITUDE and 85% ATTITUDE


What is Attitude?

There are many definitions of the word...but it is the inner 'spirit' that motivates us and drives us to achieve.

Where does it come from?

- Exposures
- Experiences
- Thoughts
- Actions



What are the exposures?

- Positive or Negative?
It takes at least 11 'positives' to overcome 1 'negative'. Where will the positives come from?

- "You don't know that you don't know!"
A person does not know what they don't know...unless someone makes them aware of it, and TEACHES them!



TEACHING ATTITUDE

3 Parts:
Head - KNOWLEDGE
Heart - PASSION
Backbone - COURAGE


How can you make a CHANGE in ATTITUDE?
CHANGE is inevitable ...GROWTH is an option!
In order to CHANGE others...you must first CHANGE YOURSELF!

Make the changes:
1. IMMEDIATE
2. FLAMBOYANT



5 STEPS to HAVING AN ATTITUDE of EXCELLENCE


1. Proper beginning - "Act-As-If"
Begin with the proper postive MENTAL ATTITUDE!

i.e.
- "I feel HAPPY, I feel HEALTHY, I feel TERRIFIC"!!!
- Wake up and LAUGH for 3 minutes in the mirror Page content goes here.
- SING - PRAY - WRITE !


2. Learn how to GREET people -
- Be CREATIVE, SINCERE, and FUN!
- SAY the person's FIRST NAME whenever you greet people! (People like to HEAR their name!)
- EXPECT a hug, hi 5, handshake or smile!


3. Look for the GOOD in people -
"When you look for the GOLD...you don't focus on the DIRT!
- Create activities/opportunities for people to compliment each other
- Acknowledge positives weekly
- Let others know their impact on each other (may be done anonymously!)


4. Learn to RESPOND...not REACT -
Be the tea bag NOT the carrot!
- PLAN (while SAFE and not under STRESS)...how you will RESPOND in events..so that you are not having to REACT (in HASTE in a dangerous/stressful time)!


5. FEED your MIND daily - It takes a person 14 times to hear something, before it becomes internalized.
Take time each day to feed your mind with something that will IMPROVE you!



A DAILY ROUTINE for BUILDING CHARACTER
and EXCELLENCE in ATTITUDE

1. VOCABULARY - Word-of-the-Day
Choose a TESTING VOCABULARY word and have students learn its spelling, meaning and usage.

This activity will improve their learning, and their 'self-portrait'.


2. GOAL WRITING -
Each day, have the students write down 3 things they will (try and) accomplish that day.


3. THANKFUL WRITING -
THANKFULNESS is one of the most redeeming emotions...but it is very fleeting.

Each day, have the students write down something that they are THANKFUL for and why.


4. TELL a (CHARACTER-BUILDING) STORY -
You can read them a story or TELL one like Jesus did. This STORY-TELLING should be more like TALKING than PREACHING though!

These STORIES are meant to INSPIRE the students to TALK and as teachers, we need to LET THEM! As teachers, we need to LEARN how to just LISTEN...DEAD AIR does not always mean DEAD HEADS!



Sample weekly story plan:
M - Tell the story
T - Give them questions to do about the story
W - Mark the answers
Th- Discuss the answers
F - Wrap Activity - poster about, ad/commercial for, character analysis, drama, tableau etc.



BENEFITS of DOING the DAILY ROUTINE

- CHARACTER building
- SELF-PORTRAIT building
- KNOWLEDGE building
- CONFIDENCE building
- RELATIONSHIP building
The students soon see this 'DAILY ROUTINE' time as 'THEIR time with YOU and each other' before the learning day begins (when in actual fact...their learning began with the daily routine!)

In elementary...the homeroom teacher would do this daily routine with their students each day. The routine goes faster as the students get used to the procedure.

In junior high ...the teachers would rotate doing the different steps of the daily routine, so that by the end of the year...ALL the students would have had ALL their teachers doing ALL the steps at least once!