- Pelican Rapids School District 548
- Dean of Students
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Helping our students latch onto and use the philosophy of the “Circle of Control” is a life skill that will benefit them in all areas of their life. This philosophy comes from Habit 1 of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People® by Stephen Covey.
Habit 1 is the habit that focuses on the power each and every one of us has to choose how we go about our lives. The idea of the “Circle of Control” is that we tend to spend way too much time outside our own circle and not enough time focusing on what will really make a difference in our lives.
This idea is not just for our students to embrace. We want everyone throughout the school system, from cooks to teachers to our superintendent to get in the habit of stepping back and constantly asking themselves, “what can I do to help myself as well as the situation?”
What we all need to understand: First, you actually do have a lot of control over your life and how you choose to handle each and every situation. But, just as important to realize, is that there are also a lot of things that we cannot control. Habit 1 explains that we are best off if we create a habit of proactivity. We all should be “concerned” about the things outside of our control but we are best off if we really stay focused on the ways that we handle who we are and what we do. In the process of controlling our circle we hopefully will be also able to influence things outside of our control.
Maybe the fact that I started every year of my teaching career reading “Attitude” by Charles Swindoll is a big reason why I am a strong believer in the circles of control. In his “Attitude” message one of the lines states: “It (attitude) is more important than what others think, say or do.”
In the world of teenagers, where the deep importance of being a part of the group is at its strongest, what other people think, say or do is a major obstacle to their happiness and effectiveness. This desire to be accepted is a major aspect of our students’ lives and for a majority of adults. It is not easy to deal with people who have negative thoughts about you, who say hurtful things to you and/ or say negative things about you to others. (This is where social media really enhances all of these fears). Charles Swindoll says the key is the attitude you embrace. How you go about handling a situation is the key to effectiveness and happiness. This does not mean you have to ignore and “just be happy”. Instead, what we are asked to do is to take a big step back and look at how we can best go about dealing with tough moments in life. The most effective people among us focus on what they can control! So it can be with you. You are in charge of your responses.
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Doug Bruggeman
Dean of Students
218.863.5910
Send Email"Helping students achieve their potential is what I see as my major mission. I also believe my position as Dean of Students is one where I help serve the needs of our teachers and staff and also work to be a supportive liaison between the school, students, and families."