I am teaching a Skills for Adolescence class this term and am incorporating Sean (Stephen's son) Covey's <I>7 Habits for Highly Effective Teens</I>...one of the activities I will be having my students complete is to think about the principles on which they wish to build their life...<P>The Covey thought is that all decisions are then to be made based upon those principles...not feelings, emotions, drama, whim, majority rule, peer pressure...etc...<P>An extension activity will be for students to write their personal mission statement...<P>My question for BS's and WS's alike is GotPrinciples? Upon what kind of foundation do you want to base your life and decisions? <P>Now having written down those principles...what would be your personal mission statement?<P>I will be doing this activity with my students and will post it...<P>Thoughtfully yours,<BR>CaliSkoolch (my teacher nickname )<P><BR>P.s. This post wasn't what you thought it would be...was it? .<BR>Cali<BR>------------------<BR><I>Live Impeccably In Your Word.<BR>Don't Take Anything Personally.<BR>Make No Assumptions.<BR>Do Your Best Always. </I><p>[This message has been edited by JustPlainCali (edited September 22, 2001).]

I hope you bump this post up every now and then to remind us to do our homework! <P>All I can think of right now is what my principles were at the time I was a teen myself (thanks for making me feel old to boot! ). And I can tell you, one of them would have something to do with not putting up with my mate cheating on me.<P>Okay.. so I broke that life rule for me... but it's back on my list again! (H knows that. Should he stray again, I refuse to work things out).<P>Hmmm... my mission statement (without defining my principles) would be something like:<P>To be a friend to myself and to others. To do what is best for me without stepping on other peoples' toes and always move forward. To "do unto others as I would have them do unto me". To accept the fact that I am not a supermom/wife, but I will strive to do my best. And to forgive myself and those who deserve forgiveness.<P>How's that? <P>Karen<BR>

up^^^<P>It is hard, is it not, to think that our principles should rule our lives and not our emotions?<P>That is not to say we should be emotionless...<P>Even by getting married we were applying principles to a decision...or we would have remained living together...<P>Just more thoughts,<BR>Cali

<B>WOW</B>, what a great topic! My teen years are far behind me yet I can recall those frustrating times with fairly good detail. I met my husband during my sixteenth year and dated no one but him since that initial meeting. I may be off course here as I try to relate what encompassed all my hopes and dreams at that time. <P>Coming from a turbulent, dysfunctional family......I wanted the "real" family feeling with my beloved steady and eventual husband. Infidelity was a major problem within my immediate family during my growing years and I was extremely ashamed of the disloyalty between my parents as well as being remorseful that one of my parents had to live with a wayward spouse. I KNEW that this was incorrect behavior then and cannot accept or comes to terms with these actions to this very day. Although my parents lived together, they were NOT together. My mother was striving to find the love of her life whereas my father was emotionally not available, EVER. Me and my three siblings suffered (and continue to do so) tremendously due to the friction within our "home." <P>I sought to make a real home without dishonor, disloyalty and disrespect. My spouse and I accomplished these merits for many years. Unfortunately....my husband became addicted to cocaine and fell to the bottom of hell. To this day, I continue to be loyal to him and want to show our two children (now teenagers) that I do love their father and wish to help him cope with his demons despite the way in which he hurt me. <P>Dang......I digressed too far. Sorry. The bottom line is that I had hoped to marry a man that I loved and had the similiar ambitions to strive within the modicum of the middle society of America. I wished to have a career as an Administrative Assistant and be a good mother and wife. Average dreams for an average gal. I never did become an AA but I am a good mom and a very, very good wife. Two outta three ain't bad. ------------------<BR><B>Time heals all wounds as long as you DON'T pick at them!</B><BR><p>[This message has been edited by GeezLouise (edited September 23, 2001).]

few questions for ya.....<P>You said adolescents -- what age?<P>Do you involve parents in this? I would think teaching principals isn't terribly different than teaching religion. <P>Do you think you're teaching this subject matter because of your personal situation?

They are middle school 11-14...<P>No I am not teaching this because of my situation...I was directed by my principal to teach it ...the program is an internationally used program...approved by our state and district...<P>I don't teach the principles...they have to decide by which principles they live and I encourage them to get their parents involved and discuss 'family' principles...<P>I also have taught social studies--history--which involves a lot of 'religious' beliefs...I am always very careful NOT to impose my own beliefs on students...I am "Switzerland" in the classroom...so neutral that my students have fun 'guessing' what I really believe...<P>I take my teaching career very seriously and know greatly the impact I have on students and am careful not to mar the trust which I have been given.<P><BR>Cali<P>------------------<BR><I>Live Impeccably In Your Word.<BR>Don't Take Anything Personally.<BR>Make No Assumptions.<BR>Do Your Best Always. </I>

Marsha - wish my teenager was in your class. <P>Lexxy - seems to me that the principles Cali is focused on are those universal things like honesty, responsibility, Golden Rule stuff that transcends all religions. So, if this constitutes teaching religion, no one should object, right?<P>WAT