CHOOSE A TEXT:
Review your whole blog to remind yourself about what we have read so far in class. What texts have stayed with you so far? What articles inspire you? What topic matters most to you in terms of your own work? Are there any of these texts that you would like to share with others in your life?
For my teach out project I have decided to use “Shifting the Paradigm from Deficit Oriented
Schools to Asset Based Models: Why Leaders Need to Promote an Asset Orientation in our Schools” by Renkly and Bertolini. As a middle school educator I felt that the article targeted a subset of students who truly need impactful teachers to highlight their strengths. Many times we forget that the students bring so much to the table. With an emphasis to cover curriculum, the strengths of students get pushed under the rug. The goal of an educator is to target the strengths of all students to ensure their learning is supportive of their abilities and this tends to fall to the waste side. Our school has put a recent emphasis on student behavior and how we can correct it. Rather than correcting by reprimanding, shifting our approach to students' assets may prove more effective. We play a pivotal role in student’s lives and it's time that we play a positive role rather than a negative role.
WHO DO YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH?
Are there people in your life with whom you would really like to talk about these texts? Colleagues? Students? Family members? Friends? Children?
My initial sharing of the article will be with my current 8th grade students. When looking at assets, a student's voice is the perfect starting point. The adults always think they have the right answers, but many times it’s the students who create real change. I think students deserve to be aware of the asset model and why it is influential in their success as a learner. By sharing the article with students, it will allow them to be reflective of ways in which their assets have been highlighted and the impact that played in their success. On the contrary, students who did not have a positive experience in the past may reflect differently and be able to share the detriments it has caused their growth in learning. From this, I am hoping to share with faculty how students respond. Rather than me speaking on my beliefs, I think it is more meaningful coming from the students they educate everyday. I am hoping that it will cause a shift in instructional approaches that faculty take and create a better learning environment for all students.
WHAT FORMAT MIGHT WORK FOR YOU?
Individual interview? Small group discussion? Art activity? Professional development workshop? Poster for your office? Pamphlet to share? Lesson plan? Etc?
At the conclusion of a summary about the article, students will be asked to respond to the following prompt; “Think about a time when a teacher, coach, or another adult in your life noticed something you were good at rather than focusing on a mistake you made. How did that make you feel, and how did it affect the way you showed up in that class or activity? If your teachers decide to focus more on your strengths and talents instead of your struggles and test scores, how might it impact your learning? What is one specific change you would want your teachers or school community to make that would help you feel more seen, supported, and motivated to learn? Or, what is something that a teacher, coach, or another adult has done to support your strengths that every teacher should incorporate in their classroom?” Once students have formulated a response, they will then be asked to share the ideas in front of a camera. Their responses will be used to create a video that will be shared with the members of our faculty. The video will serve as a driving force in creating ideas of simple ways we can change one thing that we do to highlight student strengths on a regular basis.
Noah, I really like the direction you’re taking with this, especially the decision to center student voice. That stood out to me because a lot of conversations about asset-based thinking happen between adults, but you are actually bringing students into that conversation. Like you said, adults often assume they have the right answers, but students are the ones experiencing these systems every day. Giving them space to reflect on what has helped or hurt their learning feels really powerful.
ReplyDeleteYour connection to behavior also made a lot of sense. You pointed out how schools often focus on correcting behavior instead of recognizing strengths, and that shift is important. It made me think about how quickly students can be defined by what they do wrong, especially in middle school, where behaviors can already be under a microscope. Your idea of using asset-based thinking as an alternative to constant correction feels like something that could actually change classroom culture.
I also think your format is really strong. Having students record their responses and turning it into a video for staff makes this more than just a discussion. It creates something real that teachers can see and hear directly from students. That adds a level of accountability that is often missing when adults are just talking to each other about change.
Your post made me think about how different schools might feel if students were consistently seen for their strengths instead of their mistakes. Even small shifts in how teachers respond could have a big impact on how students show up in class. I’m really interested to see what themes come up from your students’ responses, especially around what makes them feel supported versus discouraged.
I love this. I think it will really make kids think. The list of questions is probably too much... choose one or two of the questions to ask kids and I think you will get deeper answers. Can't wait to see it come to life.
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