Jake Browning
reporter@thefranklinpress.com
Schools from across Western North Carolina that participate in the Leader in Me program sent representatives to Iotla Valley Elementary School for a conference to discuss ways to expand the program.
Leader in Me is a comprehensive education model designed by Stephen Covey, an author and educator best known for his book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” These habits, which focus on teamwork, prioritizing and continuing to improve after a task is complete, are tailored to fit a child’s educational experience in the Leader in Me program. Iotla Valley adopted the program three years ago and has made it a flagship component of the school’s curriculum.
Iotla Valley third-grade teacher Missy McConnell said that Leader in Me is a way to teach to the whole student, rather than just focusing on academics. Leader in Me curriculum gives her students the opportunity to practice what they learn in school during small, everyday situations, such as resolving conflicts with classmates or getting ready in the morning. The program also encourages family involvement in education, which McConnell feels is especially important at a time when so many families struggle due to factors like poverty and addiction.
“A big reason that Iotla participates in Leader in Me is because we’ve seen a decline in family involvement in education, especially with the drug epidemic in Macon County,” McConnell said. “Whatever their circumstances are, Leader in Me helps our families come together to rise above it.”
McConnell was one of several Iotla Valley teachers who met with teachers from other Leader in Me schools to discuss the progress of the program. The other teachers were encouraged by what they had seen in their schools since adopting the program, including improvements to their students’ abilities to analyze situations, communicate their needs and set goals for themselves.
Shawna Penland of Swain West Elementary School said the beauty of the curriculum is in its simplicity and how naturally it can be understood.
“I think part of why it works so well is because it’s the way that we were raised,” Penland said. “My father never would have used the phrase ‘begin with the end in mind’ when I was growing up, but I watched him plant a garden and maintain it from start to finish. That’s the kind of old-timey way that Leader in Me works.”
Leader in Me curriculum coach Diane Vance said the program encourages students to think outside the box. Because the program emphasizes critical thinking, she feels that students are more likely to find a way to solve a problem that’s right in front of them rather than ignoring or avoiding it.
“They may get older and think ‘hey, my dad and I have been waiting on an electrician to come fix the wiring in our garage for a month now, maybe I should learn to be an electrician’ instead of ‘well, everyone has to go to college for four years, I guess I have to do that too’,” Vance said.
Teacher Katie Swartzwelder from Scotts Creek School in Sylva thinks that mindset will be an asset to the students when they grow up, but also to the communities they grow up in because they’ll be able to find something productive to do in their hometowns.
“It encourages them to find that entrepreneurial spirit in their communities,” Swartzwelder said. “That’s something we need to focus on if we don’t want our towns to shrink the way we’re seeing right now in rural areas like ours.”
Also dropping in on the conference were several students from Iotla Valley’s student lighthouse team, which is composed of students who exhibit the best grasp on the principles of the Leader in Me program.
Fourth-grader Tucker McHan said Leader in Me has taught him to use his time more wisely and prioritize. He’s even developed a special morning routine around what he’s learned.
“You get up and you eat breakfast before you brush your teeth so you don’t get your teeth dirty again,” McHan said. “Then you get dressed last so you don’t get food or toothpaste on your clothes.”
The general consensus at the meeting was that improving the program was mostly about getting more people involved. There are already more 200 Leader in Me schools in North Carolina, but Vance feels that the curriculum can be applied anywhere because of its synergy with the basic tenants of education.
“When you think about what schools do, everything boils down to leadership, culture and academics,” Vance said. “Everything we do in Leader in Me fits into one of those categories.”
The Iotla Valley lighthouse team is currently holding a food drive for CareNet and will be accepting donations at the school through Friday, November 1.