The section on middle school particularly resonated with me, especially this quote: “It is during the middle grades that students either launch toward achievement and attainment, or slide off track and are placed on a path of frustration, failure, and, ultimately, early exit from the only secure path to adult success” (Balfanz, 2009, p. 13). The transition from elementary school to middle school is significant. Students move from having one primary teacher to navigating a larger school with multiple teachers, increased academic expectations, and new friend groups. Middle schoolers not only experience greater academic pressure, but they are also navigating major developmental changes. They are figuring out who they are while managing social media, shifting friendships, peer conflict, and the emotional and physical changes of puberty. At this stage, identity and self-belief are fragile.
This video stuck with me as it really made me think about how that teacher made my dad feel about himself. Tyrone Tanner says that children become what they think, you think they will become.
This example illustrates why asset-building in middle school is so critical. According to Scales (1999), schools tend to provide fewer asset-building opportunities as students progress through the grades, beginning in middle school. The authors also note that success factors during the middle grades strongly determine high school success and graduation outcomes (Balfanz, 2009). Because this stage is such a formative and vulnerable time in an adolescent’s life, schools must intentionally build students up. By focusing on assets such as positive identity, commitment to learning, and supportive adult relationships, students are more likely to develop confidence and resilience.
When educators focus on strengths rather than deficits, especially during this formative stage, they help students build a foundation of confidence that can carry into high school and beyond. My father eventually overcame that teacher's discouraging words, but how many students never do? This article makes clear that we cannot afford to operate from a deficit model, especially during the middle school years, when students are most vulnerable and their paths are being set. Every interaction matters. Every message about a student's potential shapes their self-belief. As educators, we must commit to being the adults who catch students when they fall, who see their strengths even when they cannot, and who believe in their capacity for growth, especially when they've stopped believing in themselves
Changing the words we use to describe and view our students can help us switch to an asset-based approach. In this video, “Asset-Based Teaching Without The Buzzwords”, the speaker demonstrates how shifting our language from deficit-based labels like 'struggling' or 'low-performing' to asset-based descriptors like 'developing' or 'showing growth’ fundamentally changes how we interact with students and, ultimately, how they see themselves. This practical strategy directly supports the article's call for schools to focus on student strengths rather than weaknesses.
I am going to commit to practicing this mindset in my practicums. I hope you will join me in a challenge. Think of a student who is currently struggling in their class and think of three "assets” (specific skills, talents, or interests) they possess that you could use to help them grow. Use this to help further connect with your student.
Hello Tanya! I think you really encapsulated the delicate development of middle school students - there is so much on their plates educationally and emotionally during those three years. I like your challenge to find a student (or students) who are struggling on some level and to learn and lean on their individual assets to help assist their growth.
ReplyDeleteHi Tanya! I think you hit the middle school portion of the article right on the head. When I was in seventh grade, my dad was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a type of cancer that affects the blood and bones. Needless to say, it was a bad time. I used creativity (art, theatre, fashion, etc.) to escape my reality. In a parent-teacher confrontation with my social studies teacher, Mr. Taliaferro suggested to my mom that since I am interested in theatre that I had the potential to do a good job on my final project. I did my best with what I had left in me that year. It was hard for anyone in my small, titivated town of Medfield, Massachusetts to not see through a "deficit lens." They didn't see what was there; they saw what I didn't have. This is why I do not want to teach secondary education.
ReplyDeleteHi Tanya,
ReplyDeleteI like that you touched on the importance of language here, because labels truly matter, especially when we are talking about children/students. Moving from labels like “low-performing” to “developing” seems subtle, but language shapes mindset, both ours and students. Certain language can lead to stereotypes or stigmas which can be incredibly harmful. When we change our language, we change our framing and overall culture.
I also appreciate you sharing a little about your dad and how a deficit based model impacted his education journey. It just goes to show how factors way beyond children's control can negatively impact their academic potential with a deficit based model and further contributes to the argument that asset based approaches should be implemented.