Brodhead Elementary School is excited to begin implementing the Leader in Me program, a schoolwide initiative that focuses on building leadership skills, responsibility, and positive character in our students. This program is based on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and encourages students to take ownership of their learning, work well with others, and set goals for success. Our students have already shown great enthusiasm as they begin learning what it means to be leaders both in and out of the classroom.
In my first grade classroom, I have been using the Leader in Me lessons alongside the KEDC civics resources to create engaging and meaningful learning experiences. The Leader in Me lessons introduce important concepts such as being proactive, showing respect, listening to others, and working together. The KEDC civics resources help reinforce these skills by teaching students about community, rules, responsibility, and being good citizens. By combining the two, students are able to connect leadership skills with real-life situations they experience every day at school.
One example of this is when we learned about responsibility through a Leader in Me lesson and then followed it with a KEDC civics activity about classroom rules and why they matter. Students discussed how rules help keep everyone safe and treated fairly, and they even helped create classroom expectations together. This gave them the opportunity to practice leadership while learning about citizenship.
The students have really enjoyed these lessons and activities. I have already noticed them using leadership language throughout the day, such as reminding each other to “begin with the end in mind” during projects or showing kindness by “seeking first to understand” when solving problems with classmates. Pairing leadership lessons with civics instruction has helped students better understand how their actions can make a positive difference in our classroom community.
Brodhead Elementary is proud to be starting the Leader in Me program, and I am excited to continue using it in conjunction with KEDC civics resources in my first grade classroom. Together, these programs are helping our students grow into confident leaders and responsible citizens who are ready to make a positive impact.
Savannah McClure
Brodhead Elementary
Rockcastle County Schools
1st Grade
