1. THE SEVEN HABITS OF
STUDENT SUCCESS
AN ADAPTION OF COVEY’S (1998) “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens” and
Basmagian’s (2006) “A Simple Way to an A”
Bruce L. Mims, Ed.D

2. Guidelines for “Courageous
Conversation”
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Speak your (personal, local, immediate) truth—
keep it real
Keep an open mind
If necessary, allow yourself to experience some
level of discomfort
BUT, remain engaged
Do NOT take or direct things personally
We ALL have something valuable to contribute to
this process
If (and when) necessary, accept non-closure

3. Icebreaker: “Find Someone Who…”
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Has an antique or classic
car___
Has at least 2 kids___
Has traveled to 2 or more
continents___
Has run a marathon___
Speaks 2 or more
languages___
Is a homeowner___
Likes to cook___
Enjoys quilting____
Knows how to Scuba
Dive____
Has published a book or
scholarly journal
article____
Enjoys gardening____
Has seen the Great
Pyramids___
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Has been to the Grand
Canyon____
Likes to go to Las
Vegas____
Likes to go to the
movies____
Enjoys
Broadway/Theatre____
Enjoys rock/mountain
climbing____
Has children in
college____
Enjoys scrap booking____
Plays Basketball____
Likes to read Mystery
novels____
Is actively involved in a
political campaign___
Has served in the
military____

4. Group Activity: Dyads
Student to Student/Parent to Parent talk
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With a fellow Parent (or student)…
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Be prepared to share out (select a spokesperson)
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Introduce yourself
Talk about your greatest excitement about the
upcoming school year
Then discuss your greatest fear about it as well
(remember our guidelines)
Briefly talk about your hopes and dreams for your
child, or your goals and dreams for yourself as a
student
Introduce your partner
Briefly talk about what you shared in common
Then talk about some things that were unique about
each other
CORNELL NOTES AVID STRATEGY

5. WHO AM I???
I AM HABIT

6. SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY
EFFECTIVE PEOPLE (Covey, 1998)
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BE PROACTIVE
BEGIN WITH AN END IN MIND
PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
THINK “WIN-WIN”
SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO
BE UNDERSTOOD
SYNERGIZE
SHARPEN THE SAW

7. HABIT 1: BE PROACTIVE
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Getting Control:
Proactive versus
Reactive
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Listen to Your Language:
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Taking Responsibility
for what happens to you
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Three Types of People:
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Those who makes
things happen
Those who watch things
happen
Those who wonder,
“what happened?”
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“I’ll try” versus “I’ll do
it”
“that’s just the way I
am” versus “I can be
better than that”
“there’s nothing I can
do” versus “let’s look at
some options”
“I have to” versus “I
choose to”
“I can’t” versus “there’s
got to be a way”
“you ruined my day”
versus “ your bad mood
is not going to rub off
on me”
Victimitis

8. 7 Types of Students, the Intervention
Continuum and Being Proactive
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Cynical:
 Neither motivated nor optimistic—even when successful at
learning (intensive intervention from onset, SST)
Lazy:
 Student is only temporarily motivated and seldom optimistic—
even when successful at learning (intensive intervention from
onset, SST)
Average:
 Student is motivated and optimistic until he or she faces their
first setback in learning—e.g., a low grade on HW or test
(close monitoring, intensive intervention is imminent)
Above-Average:
 Student is motivated and optimistic until faced with a series of
learning setbacks (monitor changes, trust your instincts,
don’t wait to seek intensive intervention when you see
warning signs)

9. 7 Types of Students and the Intervention
Continuum and Being Proactive (cont’d)
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Accomplished:
 Student is motivated until faced with a seemingly
insurmountable learning obstacle (monitor, and intervene
when the situation calls for it)
Successful:
 Student is motivated and optimistic, and seldom gives up,
and continues to learn, despite the obstacles (monitor, and do
not ignore that once is an accident and twice is a pattern, be
your child’s advocate)
Truly Wise:
 Student is always motivated and optimistic, regardless of
successes or failures; understands that success and failure
are part of life’s never-ending learning process (teach your
child to advocate for themselves—the ultimate goal:
resiliency)

10. Reality Check: Adults versus Teens
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(Mature) Adults are wise,
experience, grounded,
proactive, patient, consistent,
and forgiving
(Mature) Adults plan for the
future, and understand that
things take time to acquire
(Mature) Adults practice
sound values and habits that
are important to their lives
(Mature) Adults learn from
their mistakes, knowing they
are stepping stones to
success
(Mature) Adults understand
that self-discipline is the best
way to take care of oneself
(Mature) Adults think of their
children first, because they
know that the future is theirs
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(Typical) Teens are smart, and
inexperienced, emotional, often
inactive and inconsistent-and
they need to be forgiven
(Typical) Teens live for the
moment and think that good
things come easier than they
really do
(Typical) Teens do not yet know
which values or habits are
universally important to their
lives
(Typical) Teens are unrealistically
dream-oriented and believe they
can accomplish things without
setting goals
(Typical) Teens think that selfdiscipline is a limiting form of
punishment that adults impose
on them
(Typical) Teens think of
themselves first and do not
realize how self-sacrificing their
parents are

11. Reality Check: “So What”
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The challenge is…
 Knowing
your child
 Being honest with yourself in the scope
and context of your strengths and
weaknesses
 Not leaving anything to chance
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Regardless of how tired or how powerless
you may feel

12. Tool Time
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ISIS Parent Module
 Gives
you access to your child’s grades
and attendance
 Forms are downloadable thru the
school website—sign and submit to the
enrollment office
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5-day turn around
 Information
is power; transform that
power into leverage and accountability

13. Tool Time (cont’d)
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Check your child’s planner on a
weekly basis
 Teaches
her day
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your child to account for his or
Again, information which is convertible
into accountability and leverage

14. HABIT 2: BEGIN WITH AN END IN
MIND
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The Blank Puzzle
What is the
roadmap of your
life?
Visualize Yourself:
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One year from now
Five years from
now
Ten years from
now
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Consider this:
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The crossroads of
life
Adolescent years
will affect the rest
of your life—for
good or bad
That’s why the
choices you make
are of such critical
importance

15. Group Exercise/Vision: Dyads—parent to
parent; student to student
“The Reflection in the Mirror”
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When you look in the mirror, what is the
person you would like to see?
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__________________
__________________
__________________
List three things you could do in order to
become that person…
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__________________
__________________
__________________

16. Group Exercise (cont’d)
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What are three obstacles impeding you in your efforts
to become that person:
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___________________
___________________
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List three action steps you can take to help you
overcome the obstacles
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___________________
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Share your results with your partner
Select a spokesperson (remember our guidelines)
Share out common threads and contrasts
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CORNELL NOTES
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17. HABIT 3: PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
(WILL AND WON’T POWER)
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Our Busy Lives
Packing More into
Your Life
Planning
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Weekly: Big tasks
(Maximum 5)
Block out the time for
your big tasks
Then, schedule
everything else
Big rocks and little
ones
Adapt
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Will and Won’t Power
The Comfort Zone
versus the Courage
Zone:
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The 85 to 15 rule
FEAR
Strength in difficult
moments
Peer Pressure

18. Tool Time Planning
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15 minutes on Sunday to plan; parents—
5 minute check
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Find some quiet time to plan out your 3-5 top
priorities (“big rocks”)
Then, insert all the other “stuff”
PARENTS: commit FIVE minutes to LISTEN to
your child as he or she reviews their week with
you
 Ask questions to attain clarity—engage
Take five minutes (WED) to spot check
your calendar to gauge your progress
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Make adjustments as needed

19. Tool Time: Being Proactive 
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Make sure your child’s notebook is
fully stocked
 Binders,
notebooks, pens, pencils, etc
 No notebook? What’s wrong what that
picture?
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Make sure your child’s backpack is
where it belongs
 Put
things in place to prevent
scrambling and SNAFUs

20. Okay, time to look ahead…
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This is where we will stop the
“work” (for now)
Let’s look ahead to our next
workshop
 The
remaining FOUR Habits

21. HABIT 4: THINK “WIN-WIN”
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LOSE-WIN
WIN-LOSE
LOSE-LOSE
WIN-WIN: THE ALL YOU CAN EAT
BUFFET
COMPETING AND COMPARING

22. HABIT 5: SEEK FIRST TO
UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE
UNDERSTOOD
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Consider this:
Don’t make assumptions
Listening versus selective hearing
Communicating your needs

23. HABIT 6: SYNERGIZE
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What is synergy?
 Celebrating
differences versus
tolerating them
 Teamwork versus working
independently
 Open mindedness versus myopia
 Finding new and better ways of doing
things versus compromise
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Symbiotic Relationships
Diversity

24. HABIT 7: SHARPEN THE SAW
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TAKING CARE OF YOUR MIND
TAKING CARE OF YOUR BODY
TAKING CARE OF YOUR SPIRIT

25. Questions?

26. Evaluation
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Which idea or topic did you find the most useful
or helpful?
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Which did you find the least helpful?
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Overall, I found the workshop empowering (circle
one)
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Strongly agree
Agree
No decision
Disagree
Strongly disagree