Perspective and Practice in Education", written by a group called the Resiliency Initiatives talks about what a strengths-based approach to teaching looks like for the students as well as the teacher. If you want to check it out, here's the link: http://www.mentalhealth4kids.ca/healthlibrary_docs/Strengths-BasedSchoolCultureAndPractice.pdf
Growing up, we all heard the phrase, "You can be anything you want to be!" Mostly it was from parents or authority figures close to you. However, according to the book, Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath, this may not be entirely true. Rath states, "You cannot be anything you want to be - but you can be a lot more of who you already are" (pg 9). Now for anyone reading this, this statement probably comes as a harsh shock. Your views on life may be being brought into question. But no worries I will endeavor to explain what this statement means. According to Rath, there are 34 different strengths that a person can have and they range from Achiever to Woo. With so many different types of strengths, each person is unique. thus by applying this to the classroom, each student is unique, each with their own strengths. An article written by "Embracing a Strength-Based Perspective and Practice in Education", written by a group called the Resiliency Initiatives talks about what a strengths-based approach to teaching looks like for the students as well as the teacher. If you want to check it out, here's the link: http://www.mentalhealth4kids.ca/healthlibrary_docs/Strengths-BasedSchoolCultureAndPractice.pdf One specific way you can foster strengths in children is to not make all the decisions. In the class room that can look like not telling them what article or book they have to read, but let them choose an appropriate text at their level of understanding. Or another way would be to let them decide how they want to present information whether it be a oral report, scrapbook style, or even a music video. These suggestions allow students to hone their natural abilities and form them into strengths. When looking at my own strengths, which can be found by obtaining the code in the back of the book for an online quiz, I have learned a few things about my self and how I will be in my future classroom. Of the 34 types of strengths, mine include Input, Intellection, Learner, Relator, and Harmony. The first three, and harmony, will provide me great strengths because I am always looking for new information that I can then share with people, especially my students. Also, I hate conflict and want everyone to be able get along, even if only being civil to each other . However, the relator could in fact be a deficit. This means that I like a close group of people. It's not that I am adverse to meeting new people, I just prefer my set group. This could prove to be a challenge, and something I will have to work at to overcome. Thus even a strength can be a weakness in certain contexts, that is why we must use our strengths to the best of our abilities in every situation.
4 Comments
Devon
2/6/2016 01:03:26 pm
Your graphic, "Celebrating our Strengths" got me thinking. I think it would be very beneficial to have something like that posted in my own classroom, where we would spend a day finding our strengths and figuring out how best to use them. The children could then pick out their biggest strength and write it out, placing it on the wall or bulletin board.
Reply
Anna Capre
2/7/2016 04:16:21 pm
Nice word play :) Do you have any experience you can remind as a student/child where a teacher brought out your strengths?
Reply
Nick S.B
2/8/2016 04:40:17 pm
If students only explore their strengths within your classroom without also facing and developing new strengths from their current "weaknesses" will they be losing a necessary part of their education and therefore suffer as adults for this?
Reply
drann
2/16/2016 09:24:46 am
Great wordle! As to Nick's comment.... too many schools place too much emphasis on weaknesses of the students. Does this do them harm in the long run? We want to foster a growth mindset where students do not see intelligence and talent as fixed.... Focusing on strengths allows us to do this...
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorHey, my name's Mary Beth and I am starting this blog to document my journey in becoming a high school life science/ chemistry teacher. Archives
March 2016
Categories |