Newspaper Page Text
Page 4 - Wednesday, October 11, 2023
The Jenkins County Times
jenkinscountytimes.com
John Paul Hearn, Superintendant
Jenkins County School System
I have shared that we are going from Good to Great in the Jenkins County School System. To
accomplish this, we must look within ourselves as well as how we interact with each other. One
of the best frameworks for accomplishing this task is the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
This framework was written by Stephen R. Covey and outlines seven principles for personal
and professional success. He was very clear that he didn't invent these principles. Rather he
studied successful people throughout history and identified what they had in common that
made them successful. When we return from Fall Break, the Jenkins County School System is
renewing our commitment to teach these principles to our students. Habits 1-3 deal with how
we lead ourselves and Habits 4-7 deal with how we interact with each other.
Habit 1 is “Be Proactive.” You must take initiative and responsibility for your life. Focus on
what you can control and influence rather than dwelling on things outside of your control. We
cannot control other people and we cannot control their actions. We can control ourselves and
our ability. Whatever the task in front of us, we should always strive to be the best we can be.
That means being proactive and making sure we put forth our very best effort in preparation
and performance in our chosen field of work. Habit 2 is “Begin With The End In Mind.” You
should visualize and clarify your long-term goals and values. This habit emphasizes the
importance of having a clear sense of direction to guide your actions and decisions. Habit 3 is
“Put First Things First.” You should prioritize your activities based on what is truly important
and aligns with your goals. Leam to manage your time effectively and avoid getting caught
up in unimportant tasks or distractions. Technology is a wonderful thing. However, it can
consume us if we allow it. I heard a college coach refer to a smartphone as a dream killer. He
said that young people spend countless hours staring at their smartphones rather than spending
time developing a talent within them. We must make sure that we prioritize what is important
in life.
Habit 4 is “Think Win-Win.” You should seek mutually beneficial solutions in your
interactions with others. Develop a collaborative mindset that focuses on creating positive
outcomes for everyone involved. This is not the way our world seems to operate. It seems that
everyone wants to win at any cost so long as you end up on top. We must look for ways to benefit
everyone and not just ourselves. Habit 5 is “Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood.”
We must practice active listening and strive to understand others before expressing your own
thoughts and opinions. This habit promotes empathy, better communication, and stronger
relationships. If we are honest, most of us don't actually listen. Rather we are formulating how
we will respond to what the person in front of us is saying. Habit 6 is “Synergize.” We should
embrace teamwork and value the contributions of others. Look for ways to combine different
perspectives, strengths, and talents to achieve greater results collectively. We truly are greater
together because no one of us has all the answers. Finally, Habit 7 is “Sharpen The Saw.” We
must continuously invest in our personal growth and self-improvement. We should never reach
a point in our life that we don't invest in our professional growth. No matter how long we have
been doing a particular job or task, we can always be better.
If you have children or grandchildren in our school system, start talking with them about
what habit they are discussing and how they can implement it in their lives. If you have never
read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I challenge you to pick up a copy and read it.
What better way to Sharpen Your Saw than to read Dr. Covey's book. Let's grow together and
continue our journey from Good to Great!
IN CONCERT
ILLY CRABB AND
TIIS BOWLING
SISTERS
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There was a great turnout Saturday at
the Fair on the Square! Hats off to my
sweet friend Jessica Suggs for keeping
the parade floats in line and to Mandy
for walking up and down the street. I
don’t really know what Mandy did!
Really, if we didn’t have Mandy to hold
down confusion, we would all be lost.
But I must tell you what happened back
at home.
My surrogate grandchildren, Jude,
Jax, and Jett came back to the house, I
was hoping for a nap. You know how
tiring it is waving at people? But, in the
minutes leading up to that blessed nap,
we had to play outside. Jett, always the
busy one, decided to grab the rake, after
Geepaw had to carry it down the patio
steps for him, and rake leaves. You
know, if you can’t suck them things up
with the lawn mower, they should just
stay on the ground cause a rake don’t fit
my hand, never has. Needless to say, I
was pleased as punch when Jett decided
to rake.
But it wasn’t long before the
industrious one, Jude, decided the
quickest way to get cash was to offer
to rake leaves. I suddenly heard Jett
scream in anger and march up the steps
as fast as his little, short legs would
carry him.
Now y’all, I remember my Nanny,
By Joe Brady, Editor
for
The Times
Mary Mons, wringing her hands and
hitting herself in the head when she
was angry. I also saw Jett march up
those steps wringing his hands just like
her. Could Nanny have stepped into
this little child’s body? Nanny’s temper
came from the Womack’s. Where did
Jett’s come from?
Jett stormed over to a chair and
flopped down; I think I saw steam
coming from his little ears. I know
that bottom lip was poked out further
than I had ever seen it before. I wanted
to laugh but decided the safest course
of action was to act sympathetic. You
would think he would have cried when
Jude snatched the rake, instead he was
fighting mad. To avert a certain danger,
I found another rake, but I was left
speechless. These kids don’t share my
blood or DNAbut they sure act like me!
I’ve been that angry a time or two!
After ten minutes, Jude decided he
had raked up $5 dollars’ worth of leaves
and it was time to go inside and watch
something called Punch. The only
thing that came up was Patchebelli in D
minor but that’s a story for another day.
Now, the ironic thing? Jude raked the
leaves for pay, Jett and Jax didn’t have
to do anything for their pay but shhhh,
don’t tell Jude. That’s all for now, take
care!
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