Shifting the Paradigm - Renkly & Bertolini

The concept of asset-based thinking means to focus on the good, rather the bad. It's important to recognize and acknowledge a youth's successes and building up their values to create positive development. Asset-based thinking focuses on youth's strengths, skills, interests, and competencies, and using these factors to make progress in their development. It promotes leadership in teacher/mentor staff. In a school setting, having high expectations for students and convincing them it is achievable, and celebrating successes can highlight their strengths. Creating personalized instructions in the classroom can build students' assets further; having teachers identify each adolescent's strengths and working based on where they are currently academically, socially, and emotionally. It also creates a closer community; "resilience can be fostered in our youth when families, communities, and schools work together to provide opportunities for kids to be involved in the community and build relationships with positive adults in their lives."

3 Questions about the concept of Asset-Based Thinking

1. When is it appropriate to focus on the bad if we are trying to stay focused on the good (assets)?
• A weakness/deficit can become too severe to ignore. How does an asset-based thinker/leader know when to stop talking about the strengths and address a non-negotiable weakness without falling back into a purely deficit mindset?
2. Word choice is important in asset-based thinking. What is the benefit of word choice when referring to youth, beyond just kindness?
• e.g of word choice: "at risk," "juvenile," "kid"
3. How can a teacher create high expectations for Special Education students, English Learners (ELs), or students with learning disabilities?
• The author--who taught special education for 17 years--answers this question in this article: High Expections, All Students, No Exceptions - it's worth reading! 

CONNECTIOIN: 

"Breathe" from In the Heights by Lin Manuel Miranda

I can resonate with the song Breathe from In the Heights. Growing up Asian, success was one thing I was always taught. My family would not directly call you a failure if you didn't succeed, but deep down you would know--you would have this weird feeling, almost like guilt but not exactly. The pressure of success was always lingering throughout my years of high school. With an older sister who did great in school and got into many colleges and universities, it only made me feel more pressured to be successful--to be like her. In a way, seeing her be praised as the golden child and being known as "the smart one" only discouraged me. I thought well, we have a successful one already, why need two? and I started to slack off in school. This is something I never spoke to anyone about because truthfully, it never really made sense, even to me. Shouldn't the constant comparisons make you want to be better? My sister was supposed to be my role model, and I was expected to live up to those standards. My mother would confront me about my grades, but she only told me to do better. It made me feel immense guilt because even though she wouldn't lash out on me, I could sense her disappointment.

Thinking back to my sister and I's high school experiences, it makes me feel a bit selfish. Because although I felt the pressure of becoming someone who was as smart as her, she must've felt pressured to become that role model. Truthfully, I think she can resonate with Breathe way more than it resonates with me. 

CONNECTION: It's not rare for someone to resonate with this song. I scrolled through the comments under this song for just a few minutes and found so many people who can relate.