Shifting to a Strength-Based Culture in Schools

Editor's Notes

• #2 Honour to be here to share some stories and dive a bit deeper into an area of passion for me Not here to to tell us what we as schools are doing wrong Honour what we do and push us to gently nudge us to start with strengths
• #3 Share with a partner. Share out , record
• #4 My hope for when you walk out of here
• #5 To build positive stories of life at school… School and classroom ideas that build on strengths, meaning through interests… discussing this today. Building on strengths helps with SEL Confidence through assessment – different workshop – sweet spot for confidence and FLOW Engagement – how can we tap into the strengths and interests of our kids. How can we make school experience meaningful? When we do this… we change the stories. We change the identity of our kids at school There are so many of examples of educators working hard to create the conditions for positive stories of our students. There are still negative stories and identities of student life at school…
• #8 Read quote We have always focused on the trying to fix the deficits. This can help to catch kids up and this is important. But what if we also focused on the strengths of our students… and we used these strengths to build up the struggles? By focusing on strengths, we not only bring up the deficits but we also create the conditions for people to truly flourish… to take those strengths and create more passion, more purpose, and more pride. Positive Psychology Research  did an activity in which people with depression determined their 3 top character strengths and then had to spend time doing NEW things with these strengths for one week. 6 months later… still feeling significantly better. They did the same thing in a few schools… and achieved similar results. The best part about this was not only did people feel better… but they stuck with the activities for the next 6 months without being asked.
• #9 Leadership, Social Work, Psychology, Nursing, Community Development, Business Chip and Dan Heath –Switch Social sciences have often focused on a disease model – fix people and do what ever we can to get them to “normal” Researchers and leaders in many different fields are starting to see what happens when we move from a deficit lens to a strength-based lens. If there is one film to start a conversation on this with your students… use this one. It is a 20 minute film but here is the 2 minute trailer.
• #10 I will share how I feel about strengths in school… but I want to know how YOU feel A+B - A goes first, B goes 2nd (cannot repeat what has been said). Each get 30s to respond after this. If a group of 3, each gets 60s Record 2-3 key points in the space below .Share to the group – record on chart paper/white board
• #11 Principals – meet n greet with each staff member, have staff do activities, surveys
• #12 Seligman and others researched and came up with 24 character strengths that crossed cultures, societies, religions, etc. There are questionnaires and surveys to help you as well as students from age 10 decide what their top strengths are. Doesn’t mean we don’t have the others but there are some in which we have more of. When people get to spend time using these strengths, happiness increases. Mental health increases. Engagement in school increases. It will be interesting to see where this goes in schools.
• #14 Create a slide, poster, etc Who are you? If you could do anything today, what would you do? What “makes your heart sing”? What are you good at? In school? Outside of school? What do you struggle with? This takes time.. But if you have a student who gets to be themselves in your class… you will get more engagement. Well worth it.
• #15 Identity Day One of the most powerful events I have ever been a part of project about themselves and present to every other student throughout the day. Not graded… done with families. Students shared who they were – what they loved – what they did. Their family, passion, culture. Hockey, lego, dance, FN drumming, jewelry making, gardening, even had a goat… and a girl who taught us about her story… a story of autism. Shy, lonely – art – pets Confidence soared. She developed a new identity at school. When I was talking to her mother about bullying… she said the anti-bullying ideas had short term impact… helping my child share who she was and what she could do made all the difference.
• #17 I think it is important to focus on strengths but also acknowledge the challenges… what are the structures…
• #18 We cannot ignore the deficits – they are important. Give as much or more attention to strengths. How do we embrace the struggle and opportunity? Powerful stories about overcoming the odds. Maybe we need to reconsider this story. Embrace what we have. Take typical students and help them use their strengths to flourish.
• #19 One of my heroes. Embrace who we are. Embrace the ability and what we CAN do. How are the differences the opportunity?
• #21 Hopefully we see the WHY… but HOW?
• #22 Kent Elementary Previous principal and many staff member and parents, community members (esp FN community of Seabird) taught me this. LEADERSHIP - Gardening, big buddy, tech crew, lunch monitors, cheerleading, office helpers, library tech, early morning readers, FN drumming and dancing What is the story at school? How can we make this a positive one? Not a reward nor a carrot to be dangled – part of the educational experience.
• #23 Education is not a zero sum game. If we believe that all children can learn, all children have strengths… how do things like Awards fit into this model? What stories do traditional awards create? How many students have skills and strengths that do not go honoured? Do not get acknowledged? Rethink honour. honour - automatically go to awards that often happen at the end of the year? Just because I say we shouldn’t have awards does not mean all kids should get some prize in education. Rethink honour, go deeper than awards – honour our kids by embracing and showcasing their strengths Lets work to make it less of a game for our students. Honour who they are… honour what they do. More often and for more students.
• #24 We have started the shift… we felt that a student of the month assembly didn’t value enough of our students. We wanted to create opportunities to share more about who our students are and which strengths they bring to our school. This year we are honouring every grade 5 student – not with an award for Top _____ Honouring by showing we value them. We acknowledge their strengths. We appreciate who they are. People who have strengths in the arts, academics, athletics… but also character strengths that are modeled through helping younger students and taking care of animals. These events are great for setting the tone in a school about what is valued… but the real place to tap into strengths are in the classroom.
• #25 Let’s steal a page from Fine Arts – celebrate what each person can do individually or as a group. Share a project, your strength as a learner… something that you are proud of. Share the process of learning. Celebrate learning.
• #26 When we tap into the strengths and interests of students with the right amount of challeng… we and create some space for that learning magic to happen… we get FLOW. That place where time stands still… I have seen this in classes and heard about this in others
• #27 Tap into strengths and interests of teachers and students Slow down – take the time Go through each off the ideas CHOICES - Canoe building, CSI, Glee club, flag football, stop motion video, readers theatre, lego architects, bird watching A quote from a parent… I know on Wednesdays I don’t have to ask “what did you do in school?... They just tell me” Passion projects at LSS – Christa Barberis PBL - answer a question, solve a problem, reflect learning in world outside the classroom.
• #28 “My goal is to make learning meaningful… set kids up for success… and watch that light go on.” Mark Maines. Using student interests to teach writing, reading, presentation skills, technology, collaboration… start with a child’s strengths/ interest and then think about how we can teach through these.
• #29 Students exploring questions of interest. Building expertise and confidence in areas of growth.
• #30 Josh Stumpenhorst - Illinois, Jesse McLean - Alberta (innovation week) – also done by 2 schools in Surrey recently Josh: Jr. High- The goal was to do a project in an area of interest, passion, curiosity… one deal - produce evidence of their learning at the end of the day. Jesse: a whole week. (also did this separately as teachers) Such engagement and learning around design, creation. Photo of a student performing His first concert. Students at Jesse’s school designed their own hovercraft. Best quote from Josh “Mr. Stumpenhorst, I would come back to do this tomorrow” but tomorrow’s Saturday… I would come back for this. Don’t often hear that in jr. high. Autonomy… purpose… engagement.
• #31 INQUIRY. Most of us do a bit of this already. Wonder, question. Neil Stephenson – Delta, Calgary Science School Engaging in work that matters, tapping into curiosities - asking, designing, building, exhibitions of learning Neil asks - Where does the curriculum live in the world outside of school? Structured  Guided Inquiry  Free Inquiry Slow down the process of learning. Go deeper. check out Galileo Network I interviewed Students of Jonathan Vervaet (high school teacher in Surrey) – couldn’t stand in Sept-oct, gimme the worksheets, let me get my points, move on. By Christmas, I my views on education had changed forever. Inquiry challenges students in a meaningful way and taps into their strengths, interests and curiosities.
• #32 Genius Hour - Gaining popularity worldwide. Giving windows of time for creativity, passion and innovation. Google 20% Time An example of inquiry. But not all inquiry is as open as genius hour. Does not have to be free inquiry. Start with structure, start with guidance.
• #33 Builds on inquiry Stop worrying about the name… just worry about the quality of thought and take small steps to include the strengths, curiosities and interests of our students. High Tech High, Deep Learning PBL does not start with giving all the info and then doing a project. answer a question, solve a problem, reflect learning in world outside the classroom. Grade ¾ teacher - Minecraft playgrounds for math
• #34 Christa Barberis – English 10 Did a project in an area of passion 1 period a week… then had to produce a 15 min TED Talk. digital desk for example. Speaking, writing, collaboration, technology… learning about learning. It all comes down to creating the conditions, creating the space for engagement to occur. Naryn Searcy is a sr English teacher in Pentiction…
• #35 Regular 4 credit, one-block course for Grade 11 or 12 students, but with unique learning design and emphasis on student choice. This course is recognized by UNBC as a full academic credit for entrance. English 11 and Geography 12 This course is designed for students who like to read and write, especially fantasy and sci-fi.  It takes it's name and inspiration from the complex world created by J.R.R. Tolkien, but is more about creativity, language, culture, landscapes, and stories than it is about hobbits or magic rings.
• #36 The Mondays and Fridays “free the kids to take on the sparks, passions, and interests that they deem important for their growth as a person,” Parent said that in her son’s case, much of the credit goes to the teacher. “Roger is highly skilled and has an innate ability to motivate them … He finds some strength in every student to build on.”
• #37 Need chart paper… each group document, then gallery walk
• #39 Google 20% Time, FedEx Days – Dan Pink’s Drive FedEx Prep Innovation Day/Week – Josh Stumpenhorst (Illinois), Jesse McLean (Alberta/BC)  Teacher Innovation Day
• #40 What are we curious about? “seed time” pased on curiosities, strengths, and interests of staff. Inquiry – driven Dr. Janet Laumann – Living Systems Model of Collab time
• #41 Add link
• #42 Have we answered the questions? Now we need actions… what needs to change in your school… your classroom
• #43 Activity sheet – what, when, with whom? Share out the start doing part.
• #44 10 minutes
• #45 Create the conditions for the Amys of the world to bring their strengths into life at school. Be interested, Be interesting. Include the strengths. build confidence and grow and struggle together from there. Slow down, Create spaces for magic to happen. What is the reward for this change? A new identity of our students as LEARNERS. More confidence, more joy, more engagement… and more positive stories.
• #46 My dream is for every child to be aware of their strengths… and get to use these strengths in schools to build and support their challenges. We can do this by starting with one. One idea, one member… one student. Start Monday… with one. Change this story.
• #47 Resources and Feedback on the handout