Taking a Strengths-based approach to Learning in school.
Our current education system is based on focussing on what our students’ cannot do and our teachers set about working on fixing that problem. Having such a deficit view of our young people has been around forever! It’s what teachers are taught to identify and then resolve. Those students who are not able to be on a par with their age level peers, are sent off to extra classes or extra work or even worse, placed in a lower-level class or ‘support’ class to ‘fix’ them.
But wouldn’t it be great if we had a real focus on the things that we were good at, that energised us and that we wanted to do often? How good would that make us feel if everyone around us celebrated the things we were good at, even if they were different to others’? What if we spent 80% of our time focussing on what we CAN do and building on that and only 20% on what we couldn’t do and find strategies to work on those? Well, we can! Let me explain.
I don’t know about you, but the deficit model did NOT work for me when I was at school! I struggled with learning through making notes from teacher-written information on the chalk or white board. Or answering questions from a textbook. I only learn through doing but in my school days, that was not a common methodology. So, I was seen as dumb (a constant term used by my family), unable to comprehend basic text and, as written in my reports, was lazy, easily distracted and made no effort. Imagine how I felt as I struggled with all other aspects of growing up! I believed I couldn’t, so I didn’t. I wasn’t allowed to learn History or go into the top classes because I was ‘deficit’! My self-esteem plummeted and then negative behaviour kicked in! Leaving school as soon as I was able, at age 15.
It wasn’t until I started working that people started recognising and telling me all my strengths. My confidence grew and I took up the advice from work colleagues to go into teaching! It was a struggle, but after 7 years of parttime work and parttime study that I graduated as a teacher! It would not have happened without people around me identifying my strengths and encouraging their use.
I went into teaching because I wanted to reach students who were like me and to make sure they knew their strengths and maximised using them as much as possible. That was thirty years ago, and I have not changed my view, except I have refined it with further knowledge and scientific research about the value of taking a strengths-based approach to learning.
Why a strength-based approach?
The scientific research discovered that taking a strength-based approach to work, learning, parenting or personal life, saw that people who use their strengths more;
· are more likely to be happy and flourishing
· experience less stress
· feel healthier and have more energy
· feel more satisfied with their lives
· are more confident
· experience faster growth and development
· are more creative and agile at work
· feel more satisfied and experience more meaning in their work
· are more engaged in their work, and
· People who focus on others’ strengths, experience improved team performance and greater success as a leader, parent, teacher etc.
Ok. Well, that’s all very nice but what is it and how does it work – practically?
Firstly, you need to understand what ‘strengths’ are. We are not talking here about being good at football, music, dancing or gaming. They are great to have but they are talents. We are talking about character strengths. Things like kindness, persistence, humour, bravery, love of learning, gratitude, creativity, curiosity, teamwork, perspective, love, prudence, hope, honesty, fairness, leadership, zest, humility etc. Then we need to understand what makes it a strength. Strengths are those that;
· You use them often
· You are very good at, and
· They energise you!
For example, I have a strength of leadership. I use that strength as often as I can, I think I’m quite good at it and it makes me feel great when I am leading others to a successful conclusion. I also have a strength of humour and I use that strength often, but especially when challenged or in an uncomfortable situation.
How do I discover my strengths and the strengths of others?
So apart from watching out for these strengths in yourself and others, there are ways where you can find out what your strengths are. The easiest and cheapest way is to go to the VIA Website here: https://www.viacharacter.org and you can do the survey to find out your 24 strengths in priority order. There is also a youth survey so teachers are able to have their students do if they are secondary age. You will get a printout of the strengths and their meanings. Always do it yourself before asking others to do it. Knowing your own strengths is the first step to knowing and understanding the power of taking a strengths-based approach. Another way is through the Cappfinity UK organisations Strength Profile. This can cost a little for a comprehensive Expert Strength Profile and best taken with a 1:1 debrief from an accredited Strength Profiler. (that’s me!) Here is the link if you want to have a look https://www.strengthsprofile.com but if you would like an Expert Strength Profile, contact me on jo@josephineopie.com.au and I will send you a link and arrange a debrief of your 21 page profile!
4 Step approach to a strength-based approach to learning
Discover students strengths - Using the VIA to find the top 5 strengths for each of your students - Make a wall chart of all the strengths in the class
Identify when and how they use their strengths - Talk about the strengths and who in the class has them - Highlight the times when students are using their strengths.
Develop a language of strengths - Encourage students to talk about their strengths and how they use them - Have students point out when they identify others using their strengths
Use their strengths - Encourage students to use their strengths at times of struggle - Reward those using their strength during struggle
What might it look like in my classroom?
To explain how this can work in your class, consider the clowns in your class. There are always one or two – or more! You will find that these students will have strengths of humour, creativity, zest, curiosity etc. If you identify and applaud their strengths, and then appeal to them to use their strengths wisely, at appropriate times or in the right place, you will find their behaviours will be geared towards positive outcomes. An example could be Billy who is always the one making smart comments, wanting to make everyone laugh, saying silly things whilst the teacher is trying to teach, flicking ears or pulling hair etc, and can be a total pain and take up so much of your time! Rather than berate him for his behaviour, why not talk to him about his strength of humour and how wonderful it is that he is so good at making people happy. Then chat to him about how together you could find the right time and place for his strengths that would make everyone happy! Maybe a morning story before work starts? What about being the MC of Wellbeing who is in charge of supporting those who are sad or unhappy & facilitate a time and place for that to occur? Or find a time at the weekly assembly where he could provide some entertainment? There are lots of possibilities!
Teaching your students how to use their strengths to overcome struggles
Class Clown (strengths of humour & zest) negotiate to use his strengths at the right time eg morning talk, assembly, supporting others etc.
Anxious student at assessments (strengths of perseverance, creativity) Talk to student about using their strengths to overcome their fear.
Student who bully/hassles another student (strengths of compassion or fairness) Ask them to call on their strength of compassion to be considerate of others.
Homework not completed (stress of creativity or curiosity) Remind them that they are creative so could come up with a creative way of completing the task.
Student angry at losing Soccer final (strengths of kindness or leadership) Talk to them about their strengths and how they could think about how to use their strengths in this situation.
Student who does not want to participate in activities (strengths of teamwork, perspective) Remind them that they have these strengths and how they love working as a team and the team needs them for this activity.
We don’t all have to be good at everything! And we’re not! We all have our own strengths and things that we struggle with. It’s a no-brainer that we all feel better when doing what we’re good at and love doing. So why do we insist that we always take a deficit view? Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating NOT trying to improve in areas that we need to improve. We still need to consider those things, especially for our students. However, wouldn’t it be good if we could spend more time on the strengths than on the weaknesses? And wouldn’t it be even better if we could use our strengths to overcome our challenges or weaknesses that will surely come our way, every day!
I advocate for a happy class of students, who know their strengths, can talk about them and know the strengths of those around them. They can call on their strengths during times of challenge and can work with other classmates who have strengths that they don’t have, to help them out. I want to see a classroom full of students who are confident in who they are, who love learning, learn differently and have strategies developed at an early age to overcome their challenges. And what’s even better – happy teachers who use their own strengths to build a happy, productive, successful classroom environment!
What do you want to see in your class?
There is so much more I would like to share! There are a wonderful amount of resources on the VIA website which includes worksheets for students to learn about their strengths and how to use them. I highly recommend you getting onto the site and downloading them! If you would like more information or just to chat about a strength-based approach in your classroom, please get in contact jo@josephineopie.com.au
