Event: leader in me!
Date: September 15, 2026
By: Maria Jerald
Picture this in a classroom: It’s 8:00 AM. My students walk through the door, unpack their bags, put away their communication folders without a single prompt, and smoothly clean up a spilled box of crayons with a cheerful, “Don’t worry, Ms. Maria, we’ve got this!”
Sounds like a teacher’s dream, doesn’t it?
It isn’t magic—it’s what happens when we empower students to lead their own learning and choices throughout the school day.
By bringing the “Leader in Me” 8 Habits—adapted from Stephen Covey’s iconic leadership principles—into our daily classroom routines, I’ve seen firsthand how leadership isn’t reserved for adults. It blooms right here at our learning centers and desks.
Here is my teacher field guide on how we transform everyday classroom moments into life-changing leadership habits that you can easily carry over at home.
8 Small Habits. Big Future Impact.
1. Be Proactive (The “I’m in the Driver’s Seat” Habit)
The Vibe: Taking charge of choices instead of blaming classmates, missing pencils, or bad timing.
Teacher Practice: When a student tells me, “I can’t find my glue stick!”, I resist the urge to hand them one. I ask: “What’s your plan to solve that?” It immediately shifts them into proactive problem-solvers.
2. Begin With the End in Mind (The “Map Reader” Habit)
The Vibe: Visualizing learning targets before starting an activity.
Teacher Practice: We start our morning circle by setting simple personal goals. “What target do you want to hit in reading today?” Clear goals give children a sense of purpose and direction.
3. Put First Things First (The “Work Hard, Play Hard” Habit)
The Vibe: Prioritizing key tasks before free exploration or playtime.
Teacher Practice: I use clear “When / Then” routines. “When your journal reflection is complete, then you can head to the building block station.” It removes power struggles completely.
4. Think Win-Win (The “Peacekeeper” Habit)
The Vibe: Finding solutions where nobody feels cheated.
Teacher Practice: When two students disagree over shared art supplies, I step back and prompt: “How can we share this so you both feel satisfied with your artwork?” They learn compromise over conflict.
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood (The “Super Listener” Habit)
The Vibe: Active listening to peers before responding during group discussions.
Teacher Practice: During partner share, I guide students to give uninterrupted focus to their partner. Giving a child full, focused attention builds mutual respect and deep empathy.
6. Synergize (The “Avengers Assemble” Habit)
The Vibe: Understanding that 1 + 1 = 3 when people team up.
Teacher Practice: I design group projects where each student has a distinct role. “You draw, you write, and you present—together we make something amazing!”
7. Sharpen the Saw (The “Recharge” Habit)
The Vibe: Keeping your mind, body, and heart healthy.
Teacher Practice: We build short movement breaks and quiet reading moments into our daily schedule. A refreshed student is an engaged learner.
8. Find Your Voice (The “Spark” Habit)
The Vibe: Discovering what you’re awesome at and using it to lift others up.
Teacher Practice: I love asking my students: “What is your special talent, and how can we use it to help our classroom community today?”
The Sunday Night “Dinner Table Debrief”
Every Friday during our reflection circle, we sit together and ask these 3 simple questions:
- What was your biggest ‘win’ habit this week?
- Where did you get stuck?
- What habit are we leveling up next week?
The Big Takeaway: We don’t need complex lessons to build young leaders. We just need small, consistent daily opportunities to let them shine.
Which habit will you try bringing into your home or classroom this week?