Education Gallup: What's in it for You?
Why go to site run by people that make surveys?
Well, information about hiring and training teachers is important, you might be curious.
Besides, these folks know what demographic communities are thinking, so we might profit if we pay attention.
The site also has information about hiring and training principals.
The Gallup™ organization also provides workshops and speakers who focus upon improving school culture, and they have a program for working with students (ages 15 and above).
Teach to their Strengths: Teach with your Strengths
The Gallup™ Education site is not very broad or deep, but they get one thing right, and that is the reason that we point to their site in this article.
Sidebar
A second reason that we point to the Gallup™ site is that we review the book, Soar with your Strengths in this newsletter.
Link here...
If there is anything that a master teacher knows, it is that teaching to your students' individual strengths is the only viable option.
Teaching to weaknesses to remediate them is a fools-folly-flop.
Who needs the stress or the hammering of their self-concept by being reminded about their weaknesses, while at the same time, being deprived of exercising their strengths?
Answer: No one, except maybe politicians.
But too often, we fall into a trap: approaching student development from a deficit model. Part of the reason students don't like school -- and don't achieve to their ability -- is that they leave each class knowing what they did wrong, but knowing little about what they did right.
Gallup's Education Division takes a different approach. Instead of asking students to fix weaknesses, developing student potential is rooted in building on what students are naturally good at, and reinforcing the use of those talents through positive recognition.
Source:
http://education.gallup.com/content/default.aspx?ci=22135
You may want to purchase one of the books that is published by the Gallup™ organization.
Link to the Gallup Publications Information page…
Your school would benefit from the purchase of multiple copies of these books, perhaps with professional development funds. Book studies and discussion groups were a one-time staple of building school competencies and a cohesive, collegial culture.
Perhaps your campus could revive the practice and benefit both teachers and students.
Focusing on the strengths of students and teachers can only "go right," it cannot go wrong.
And, you can only become a better teacher when you focus upon your student's strengths.
