Strengths in School

Traditional schools are structured around a deficit-based educational model. Teachers identify weaknesses in students and work on those weaknesses. Focusing on weaknesses can be utilized to ensure a solid foundation for future academic and life success, however, as students get older, a shift needs to occur from a deficit-based model to a strengths-focused educational model.

A strengths perspective in education would see teachers identifying strengths in students and work with those students to enhance their strengths. Strengths in education can simply be a focus on the subjects in which a student naturally excels, and it can also include personal characteristics.

The shift from a deficit-model to a strengths-focus is needed if we want excellence in education. If we focus all of our attention in getting students to meet minimum standards in all areas, we will end up with graduates who are relatively well-rounded but who do not excel in anything ... and worse, we will be training them to "work on their weaknesses" and shoot for mediocrity, rather than enhancing their strengths to shoot for excellence.

Here is a great video by Marcus Buckingham about strengths in education and life ... 

The Truth About You

Before application, let me mention what a Strengths perspective in education is NOT.

1. A strengths perspective is NOT a fixed mindset.

Sometimes "strengths" are used to encourage a fixed mindset ... when a teacher or parent tells a student that he/she is really good at a subject, it is translated as "I don't have to work at that subject." It is important to maintain a growth mindset with a strengths perspective. I like using the term "gifts" when talking about the qualities or areas in which students naturally excel; however, to make gifts into strengths, it takes effort and focus on those specific gifts.

Gifts + Effort/Focus => Strengths

This formula dovetails with Ericsson's (1990) research that 10,000 hours are needed to become an expert at something. Whether you accept Ericsson's specific findings or not, the concept is the same ... in order to develop gifts into strengths, one needs to put effort and focus into those gifts.

2. Strengths is NOT independence

When you talk about strengths, some may assume that "strengths" is synonymous with independence. In the American society, a "strong" person is celebrated because he/she doesn't need to rely on others ... a rugged individualism; however, this is a fallacy in learning and life. In order to be successful, we need to be dependent upon others ... or rather interdependent. In a successful team, each person needs to excel in their area of strength and depend on others to excel in their respective area of strength. The metaphor of an orchestra is an apt one of interdependence; an orchestra performs a beautiful symphony only when each member of the orchestra plays his/her instrument with excellence. 

Application

1. Identify Strengths in Students

Student strengths (again, I like the term "gifts") need to be identified so that they can be fully developed. Here are a few of the many different tools that can be used to accomplish this first step:

• StrengthsQuest (www.strengthsquest.com) -- No "strengths" conversation can happen without mentioning Gallop's great work. The StrengthsFinder inventory is a fee-based service ($10 online / $20 book), but it provides a plethora of research and resources to use in education.
• Values in Action (viacharacter.org) -- This is a free inventory on character strengths and also provides great research and resources to use in education.
• Character Awards -- Schools do not need to use an online tool to identify gifts; many schools recognize honorable characteristics in students through awards. This is a great way to identify and celebrate character strengths so that students can focus on those areas throughout the year. Unfortunately, many of these award ceremonies happen at the end of the year, so students and teachers cannot focus on those throughout the year ... identify these early in the year and set goals to enhance and practice them.
• Discipline Specific Awards -- Similarly, each teacher/department could recognize students who excel in specific subjects. Celebrate these academic strengths and provide opportunities for these students to grow in their gifted areas so that they can develop into strengths. Allowing these students to take a MOOC (or other college/online course) in their identified area may inspire them to excellence.

2. Differentiate Learning and Assessment

The premise of differentiation comes from a strengths perspective. The question to students is no longer, "Are you smart?" but rather "How are you smart?" Educators differentiate to allow students to learn (and show how they have learned) in their area of strength. Differentiation is an important pillar in a strengths perspective in education. Whether you use Gardner's Multiple Intelligences or another model, continue to differentiate in pedagogy and assessment.

3. Promote Strengths

Educators, so often, focus on what students can't do or what students have done wrong. Imagine a school where the primary focus (not sole focus) is on what students are doing right. How can you celebrate what students are doing well?

• Highlight Excellence (aka use exemplars) -- when I taught high school English, I used to grade essays by highlighting excellent sentences/phrases ... I would literally use a highlighter, but before returning graded essays, I would also read excellent parts from a variety of student papers (exemplars). Focusing first on what was right helped set a positive tone before I taught a mini-lesson on ways to improve writing.
• Peer Assistance -- students with strengths in certain areas should be encouraged to help others in the classroom who struggle. This simple activity sends a powerful message of interdependence.
• Groups -- create groups from a strengths perspective. Once student strengths are identified place those with different strengths into groups to complement each other ... again a powerful message on interdependence.
• Recognition -- We recognize certain areas quite well (specifically athletics), but rarely celebrate school-wide academic or character strengths. Some organizations, like NHS and Jostens Renaissance Education, can help to promote these important areas, but you can also develop a recognition system that works for your school.  

We, as educators, are well-practiced in a deficit model of education ... identify weaknesses, set goals/activities to work on those weaknesses, and then provide opportunities for students to practice. Ironically, these same steps can be used effectively from a strengths perspective:

1. Identify academic and character strengths in students 
2. Set goals to develop those strengths
3. Provide opportunities for students to practice (it really feels like play) their strengths.