Sharpening the Saw means doing the work!

Habit #7 is called “Sharpen the Saw.” Covey used the analogy of a woodcutter who is sawing for several days straight and is becoming less and less productive. The process of cutting dulls the blade, and the solution is to periodically sharpen the saw. In practice, however, most people fail to understand what sharpening the saw really means. Our students often think it means taking time to goof off. When they play video games or watch meaningless TV, what they're really doing is just putting the saw down. When they go back to sawing, the saw is just as dull. Students aren't seeing that they need to do an activity to sharpen the saw, something that renews them in one or more of the four dimensions: Body, Heart, Mind, and Spirit (or Soul).

Personal development guru Steve Pavlina wrote about Habit 7 in 2004:

"Sharpening the saw is actually an activity, just as the analogy suggests. Think about what it would mean to sharpen the saw of your life. Here are some saw-sharpening ideas:

1. Exercise
2. Improve your diet
3. Educate yourself (read, listen to audio programs, attend a seminar)
4. Learn a new skill
5. Join a club
6. Meditate
7. Write in your journal
8. Have a deep conversation with someone
9. Set some new goals or review/update your old goals
10. Organize your home or office
11. Go out on a date
12. Clear out a bunch of little tasks that you’ve been putting off

The woodcutter can’t just alternate between cutting wood and sharpening the saw indefinitely. Downtime is needed too, but it isn’t the same as sharpening the saw. The woodcutter can become even more productive by sharpening the blade, studying new woodcutting techniques, working out to become stronger, and learning from other woodcutters." 

Forgetting to intentionally sharpen the saw can lead to burnout. If you merely alternate between productive work and downtime, your production capacity will drop off. You’re still working hard, but you don’t feel as productive as you think you should be. When you sharpen yourself regularly, you’ll find that you can flow along at a steady pace week after week without getting burnt out.

Have you ever noticed how refreshed you feel after an exciting conference or seminar? It isn't the downtime you enjoy as much as the new learning and conversations. Retelling the learning to others doesn't seem to sharpen their saws. The doing part of the conference is what really works to improve your mind, heart, and spirit.

Sarah and Judy are taking an idea from Rosedale principal, Jon Wennstrom, of using Twitter to have a weekly conversation about teaching and learning ideas. I love the possibilities! Having the opportunity to sharpen our minds by considering new ideas, expanding our teaching and learning skills, or just improving our relationships is key to sharpening our professional saws. I'm hoping we get our Twitter conversations going soon!

Habit 7 is often the favorite Habit for Cooper students. They like the idea of thinking about reading or playing as a positive activity. We need to help them focus on being intentional with their saw sharpening so they aren't just having down time, but really sharpening their saws for increased personal and educational growth. 

Isn't that our main job?

"How are your various blades doing? Your skills, your knowledge, your mind, your physical body, your relationships, your motivation, your commitment, your capacity for enjoyment, your emotions — are all of them still sharp? If not, which ones are dull, and what can you do to sharpen them?" ~ Steve Pavlini

BIG ROCKS

• We want to make sure everyone understands the bus issues we are dealing with for both arrival and dismissal. The bus duty people met and have agreed to the following:

1. Teachers need to pickup students on time in the morning from their positions in the Cafe or hallways to take them to their lockers or classrooms. The time to get them is 8:30. Instruction should begin at 8:35. When teachers are late getting students, it makes bus duty people late as they wait for the class to be collected by the teacher.
2. Some students are gathering near the stage or waiting other places for friends to arrive. Please advise students to go directly to the breakfast line or their class line as soon as they enter the school.
3. Student greeters in the hallways and at the entrance are there to welcome people into the school. They have been bossing children and not taking their jobs seriously as greeters. If you have a greeter, please ask them how it's going. See if there are ideas you can suggest for making the greeting more purposeful.
4. Dismissal to the bus is no earlier than 3:35! Teachers should not be lining up at the gym doors prior to that time. This is especially problematic with substitute teachers, so please revise sub plans to indicate that students should not leave classrooms until 3:35 to dismiss.
5. We are using door 12 (by Michelle Kopacko's classroom) as an exit as well as the two doors into the gym. Bus duty teachers are suggesting that all teachers follow their classes to the proper exit to make sure no students are lagging behind. Then teachers walk their students all the way out of the building before making their card change in the gym. When teachers lead students out, some students lag, some wait in various places for friends, etc. making it difficult to know when we're all exited and buses can depart. It is the teacher's responsibility to make sure all students exit the school or go to SACC, rehearsals, etc. at the end of the day.
6. Once students have exited the school in the back of the building, they are to go to their bus. Some students are delaying at the dumpster or other hallways waiting for friends. Please follow your students to their exit and remind them to go directly to their buses.
7. We try to get buses moving out at the end of the day by 3:45 as the bus routes need that time to get started. However, bringing students too early for dismissal is not necessary and not allowed. We can get students out through the gym and door 12 if teachers begin dismissal at 3:35, stay with their students all the way out of the building, make sure they have all of their students with them, and remind students to go directly to their buses.

• Thanks to the bus duty teachers for meeting and helping create the solutions we can use. 
• Congratulations to our awards recipients at the PTSA Founders Day celebration last week! Michelle Stackpoole was chosen as an honored teacher by former Cooper student Eddy White, Judy was recognized for LPS Teacher of the Year, Bill received the PTA Distinguished Service Award, and Terry was honored with a State of Michigan PTA Life Membership. We can be proud of the Cooper awardees and for all the work Cooper staff do for PTA.
• Thanks goes out to Judy, Robin, and Victoria for being our trainers and go-to people as we ramp up the new Illuminate DnA to replace the clumsy Mi-Star program. Teachers in secondary schools are already using Illuminate and having an easier time.
• Congratulations to Pam on the birth of her new granddaughter, Elloise Nora Keeton. Amanda and Elloise are doing well.
  

Schedule for the week:

Monday:           Presidents Day!

Tuesday:          PD Day

                        8:00 start at Cooper in the LMC for Illuminate training for all

                       10:00 at Cooper for some team building and a look at M-Step testing for
                       April and May

                       12:30-3:30 Most of us at Riley for MAISA Unit training; Principals at LCTC
                        for 7 Habits

Wednesday:      8:00 IST meeting

                        3:45 Planing Team

Thursday:         8:00 Staff meeting (More M-Step!)

                        1:00-4:30 EPM at CO

                        6:30 Cooper PTA Meeting

Friday:              8:00 Book Club (lounge)

                        8:00-3:45 LIM and 7 Habits overview for new staff