Defining Strengths-Based Education

This page is optional, but may be of interest.

Have you ever heard of deficit thinking?  Deficit thinking results when people perceive others in a certain way - classify them or group them based on their own perceived ideas.  This might include life experiences because of their group association.  Because of these experiences, it is believed that they will exhibit behaviors or act in a certain manner….  It's easiest to explain how deficit thinkers operate using an illustration. For more information, watch a quick video about deficit thinking to frame your thinking. 

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10-minute video - if you have a problem accessing the video as an embedded video, please copy and paste this link into a new tab: https://youtu.be/7XFLTDQ4JMk

One of the several theories that scholars have considered to explain school failure is the deficit thinking model.  At its core, this model assumes that the student who fails in school does so because of his/her internal deficits or deficiencies.  This might be limited intellectual abilities, linguistic shortcomings, lack of motivation to learn, bad behavior, lack of parental support, etc.  Why do we just focus on the problems?  The deficits?  Over time behavioral and social scientists have come to hold this deficit thinking model in disrepute.  They argue that it ignores the role of the many factors that might cause or create this “school failure.”  What if the educational programming is just not right for the child?  What if his needs are not being met (at school or at home?)  What if the child needs acceleration or compacting? 

How often to we stop to consider what a struggling learner can do?  What are his strengths?  What are her assets?  When we stop to get to know children build relationships with them and consider what they can do (rather than what he cannot), our mindset shifts. 

We might have to change our instructional practices in order to find potential.  Remember, nothing inspires and motivates us more than our own successes. 

Everyone can be successful on some level - in the life of a student it is often up to the parent or teacher to find that level for each student.  We need to work to discover the strengths of all students.  We need to consider operating with an anti-deficit thinking model.