Asset-based Thinking

​The best part of being a teacher?
No, it is not summer break. Although that’s a really good reason.
It is my former students and the memories we share.

It’s seeing former students walking down the hometown streets or
saying good morning to them as they now drop off their children to me in car riders.

It’s knowing that the student who used to sit in the far corner of my classroom – the one who drove me crazy- is now a successful pharmacist.

It’s leaving a restaurant and being greeted by a honking horn. The former students just wanted to say, Hey Mrs. Arnold. You were right. We miss high school!

When my mother-in-law Miss Polly suffered a stroke three years ago, I went with her to our local hospital. A bit overwhelmed, I was focused only on her. A nurse turned to me and said, Mrs. Arnold, do you remember me? You taught me French at the college.

I did in fact recognize her, and I literally panicked inside. Did she have good memories of me teaching her? She energetically moved around the room telling me how proud she was that she did well in my class. Her soothing voice relaxed even this tired daughter-in-law as she cared for Miss Polly.

Around every corner in the hospital, I recognized more former high school French and Spanish students now on staff at Phoebe Sumter. They reminisced and laughed about projects, portfolios, and parties- those memorable fiestas and fêtes. A few even apologized for trying my patience from time to time. I listened with a smile. It’s interesting what they remember and how they saw me. I heard about
the time I lost my temper and Lyndsey made me laugh instead of yell.
the time I began a French lesson in Spanish class.
the times they got away with stuff when they thought I wasn’t looking.

They love to remember the mistakes I made. The truth is sometimes I was looking the other way, but sometimes I wasn’t looking at all. Good for them.

Just last Friday, precious Dylan took to Facebook to tell his world the truth about a Spanish project from high school. It seems there was some confusion over whether or not I lost it and if he actually ever did it. I went ahead and issued a blanket apology to all my students who ever suffered through the process of that project. I’m quite certain it was not the hardest thing they have ever had to do, but this Facebook conversation brought me joy when several other former students joined in- mostly to say apology accepted.

Glimpsing how my former students are living out their dreams gives me a boost of confidence to keep on teaching- designing, planning, singing, and even jumping through the hoops of our educational system. I'm inpsired to create new trips to take my current students on... France, Spain, Costa Rica! One day, we will travel again.

How we teachers treat our students today matters. For me, it isn’t only about language acquisition; it is about positive relationships. I don’t take credit for their success because I’m mostly relieved when I don’t screw up my part of the process. Through years of positive connections, I am sometimes able to show my students how to embrace the potential for their futures. I am simply a witness to their possibilities, to the assets they are accumulating.

It’s called asset-based thinking.

Teachers live in this world every day. We make choices about lessons, activities, units, assessments, and projects based on…
what we have and not what we do not have.
what we want to see accomplished and not what might be too difficult.
what the kids have and what they need.

We know our students and see what is possible for them.

Unfortunately, many students also come to school thinking that it will be an impossible thing- doing a new math equation, reading a novel, or giving a presentation. Kids try to tell teachers over and over how they can’t learn. It’s particularly true when they are acquiring another language. Even parents sometimes chime in: I can’t help them; I don’t know that stuff.

We teachers try not to let them get away with it…. this deficit-based thinking.

Our jobs become harder but not impossible. Teachers want kids and parents to see beyond what they know and have experienced. We want them to see their blank slate as an asset- a treasure box waiting to be filled new words, art, music, physical activity, literature, history and science. As corny and cliché as it might sound, we actually DO want to inspire them to use their skills to help others.

We teachers love our jobs because we love our students.

We love to make them think, question, and work hard while we learn, reflect, and improve our craft because of their indelible marks on our lives.

We love to push their imagination to a higher level while we marvel at beautiful unique things they can create.

We love to challenge them to recognize and appreciate people and cultures across the globe while we accept each of them just as they are.

We love to see our students develop into incredibly gifted adults, giving back to the communities that nurtured them as children.

We love.