TEACHING WITH YOUR STRENGTHS What makes an effective teacher? There is no cookie cutter template. According to The Gallup Organization, the best of the best in any field have found a way to use their strengths. All great teachers are alike in a key way they use their natural talents to the utmost, whether they are aware of it or not. (Liesveld & Miller, 2005, p.11). In The Courage to Teach, Parker Palmer talks about good teaching emanating from an authentic sense of self identity. Whoever our students may be, whatever the subject we teach, ultimately we teach who we are. (Palmer, 1998). As you bring yourself to the classroom, you are a role model for your students. They learn about the subject you are teaching, but they also learn about you. Gallup s StrengthsFinder instrument identifies a person s top five signature themes of talent. Through the course of your teaching, you bring these signature themes to your students, showing them exemplary ways to think, plan, organize, relate and learn. Here is just a sampling of the possibilities for good teaching that emerges from each of the 34 signature themes. You will be able to add the specifics of your own style as you realize where you are applying your unique talents to your calling to teach. 1. Achiever Because you work hard and get a lot of things done, you expect this of your students. You set high standards and high expectations and encourage them to work hard for your class. You may provide checklists and progressive due dates to encourage a sense of accomplishment. As you explain your personal motivations, you can inspire students to put forth more effort. 2. Activator Active learning has always made sense to you. You move your students from theory to practice as you expect them to act on what they are learning. You turn concepts into, What are we going to DO about it? You expect active participation in your classes. You show that action is an important part of learning. 3. Adaptability Your adjustable teaching style allows you to go with the flow and capture that teachable moment, even if it wasn t in the plan for the day. You also adapt to diverse learners and enjoy the newness of each classroom experience. You have a 1
well planned syllabus, but you don t mind making adjustments to the plan as you respond to the learning needs and interests of your students. You model for your students a relaxed and flexible approach to the surprises and complexities that each day may bring. 4. Analytical You teach students how to think. You model this way of thinking in the way you have designed the course and the way you present the material. You ask questions, lead discussions, and design assignments to spur their analytical thinking. You help students grasp this process when you take time to explain your way of thinking and when you give specific feedback in your grading. 5. Arranger You enjoy planning the course syllabus and arranging the content and sequence for the semester. You give attention to the physical environment of the classroom and the seating arrangement for the students. You optimize learning by arranging teams or partners who will benefit from working together. You will arrange and re arrange to get the best outcome. 6. Belief You teach out of your passion for the subject, for the students, and for the teaching/learning process. You really believe in what you are doing or you wouldn t be doing it. This passion translates into enthusiasm in the classroom. Whatever matters to you comes through in your teaching, and the students know where you stand, and that clarity engenders respect. You also encourage students to discover and express their own passions. 7. Command You bring a strong presence to the classroom. The students know that you are in charge, and they learn to trust your judgment. Classroom management issues are rare, but when they occur, you handle them quickly and with authority. When questions arise or when situations need resolution, you have an ability to speak decisively and move everyone forward. From your example, students may be encouraged to take charge of their learning, their opinions, their time management, etc. 8. Communication You find it easy to convey the course content choosing whatever medium is best to get the point across. The classroom energizes you, because you have 2
a ready audience. You bring learning alive with great examples, stories, photos, quotes, etc., using the appropriate means to engage your audience and get your point across. This style helps you connect with your students, because you take time to get to know them so that you know how best to reach them. Through assignments and classroom interaction, you also encourage your students to communicate well. 9. Competition You want to win at teaching. You want your course evaluations to be the best. You want students in your classes to work hard and do well. You bring that competitive spirit into your encouragement for them to do their best. 10. Connectedness You help students see the larger picture. You connect the topics and units of the current course into a cohesive whole. You help students connect what they are learning in your class to what they have learned or will be learning in other classes within the discipline and across disciplines as well. You make connections to current events, to spiritual matters, to their future careers. 11. Consistency Your students know what is expected of them. The syllabus is very clear. They know that you will be fair in your grading and in your dealings with each of them. You model for them the importance of saying what you mean and meaning what you say. You expect for them to be consistent in their attendance, in their study, and in their completion of the course. 12. Context You develop a good rapport with your students because you remember what it was like to be a student, and you prepare to teach with that reality in mind. You model the importance of the past, of how we got to where we are, of why the subject matter has evolved as it has. You are likely to share your own personal context and why you teach. You do not teach in the vacuum of the present, but you give meaning to the present by exploring and learning from the past. 13. Deliberative You give a lot of thought to what you are going to teach and how you are going to teach it, to the textbook you will use and the assignments you will require. You give a lot of thought as to how to relate to your students. You model this deliberative style by telling your students that you value their questions, but you need time to think 3
before you give them an answer. Your students learn from you that it is ok to take time to think things through before responding. 14. Developer You are a patient encourager and your students benefit from that approach. Your recognition of their potential can cause them to grow in areas that they might never have considered. Your enthusiasm for their progress ignites their motivation for further learning. From your supportive approach with them, students learn to be more patient and encouraging of their own learning. 15. Discipline You bring order, structure, and routine to the classroom. You model selfdiscipline when you share how you operate or suggest how they might approach a certain assignment. You teach a disciplined approach to learning when your assignments don t just focus on the content outcome, but also focus on the process and the attention to detail. 16. Empathy Your personal care and concern for your students is evident. You sense when the class is getting it and when they are not. You model for your students that learning isn t just about the cognitive, but it also involves the affective. Both domains of development are important in your classroom as you strive to teach the whole person. 17. Focus You plan your course with clear intentions, and you bring that perspective to every class. Goals and objectives matter. When you lead discussions, you are able to bring attention back to the most important concept. When you grade assignments, you are able to attend to the key element. You help your students to remain focused on their priorities, whether that is completing the next assignment or staying focused on finishing their degree. 18. Futuristic You help students envision the future. How does the content of this class fit into their future? How will their behavior in this class affect their future? By asking questions about the future, you teach students to think beyond the present and give consideration to where they are going and how are they going to get there. 4
19. Harmony Learning is a collaborative venture. That is why the classroom is so important to you. Your role as a peacemaker promotes careful listening, better understanding of another s views, and a more magnanimous approach to living in our diverse world. The way you handle conflict in the classroom, or the way you process divergent opinions speaks volumes to your students about respect, kindness, and peace. 20. Ideation You bring new ideas to your curriculum and to your teaching. You are willing to try something new or engage in a discussion of a new possibility. You ask questions and invite brainstorming. In loving ideas, you model an openness to thinking broadly, considering multiple perspectives, and allowing new thoughts to be respected and given consideration. 21. Includer Through your approach to the students in your class, you model the idea that everyone matters, that everyone belongs, that everyone has contributions to make to the larger group. This mindset enriches the learning environment and teaches others to be more socially sensitive. 22. Individualization You get to know students by name. Each person matters. You don t just teach a class, you teach each student in that class. You provide choices and options for completing certain aspects of the course, allowing for individual preference. Through that personal motivation, you encourage individual learners to put forth their best effort. 23. Input Your teaching is enriched by the resources that you share. You bring a wealth of knowledge to your subject matter that has been gleaned from your years of experience and your curiosity about the topic. Your input may come from the gathering of books, anecdotes, photos, cartoons, quotes, etc. Your attention to resources may inspire your students to be more aware of the related artifacts in their surroundings. 24. Intellection You bring a reflective mindset to the classroom, and you encourage that in your students. Your classroom questions show that you expect students to have been thinking about the subject matter before they come to class. Your discussion questions 5
will promote good thinking about the topic and encourage the students to think as they read, think about the meaning connected to an assignment, think about what they learned from taking that exam or writing that paper. 25. Learner Your curiosity is contagious. You bring a fresh learning mindset to every class that you teach. You join your students as learners each semester as you explore the topic together. You teach sound principles of learning as you prepare assignments and guide students in their approach to learning. You care about teaching the process of learning as well as the content of your curriculum. 26. Maximizer Excellence matters to you. You set high expectations for your students and expect them to maximize their time and effort for your class. Shoddy work is unacceptable; incomplete work is unacceptable. Your standards raise the bar and give students an opportunity to expect excellence of themselves. In grading you comment on the most excellent components. You also talk to students about making the most of this educational opportunity. These are important years of their lives that should not be wasted. 27. Positivity You bring a smile to your classroom. Learning together is fun and exciting. Your positive energy is contagious. Students enjoy coming to class because the experience is so uplifting. You can find the good in most circumstances, and you encourage students to look for what s good and be more hopeful about what they are able to do. 28. Relator Relationships matter to you. The teacher student relationship is a very important one and you encourage students to establish that connection. You take time to build relationships with the class and encourage the students to take advantage of your office hours to get better acquainted. 29. Responsibility You take your role as a teacher very seriously. You prepare well, begin class on time, grade promptly, etc. You let your students know that you accept your responsibilities to teach and that you expect them to accept their responsibilities to 6
learn. These high expectations can encourage and motivate students to grow in this important area. 30. Restorative You enjoy fixing things, restoring order, or bringing wholeness. In your teaching you may bring a restorative process to problem solving showing students how to approach a problem, decide on a solution, and follow through to completion. This theme may have a more personal bent as you seek out individuals who need restoration of some sort. You might be that teacher who works to correct past hurts, or resolve test or learning anxieties. Whatever the application, you do not leave well enough alone, but you model the approach of improving on the current situation or finding a solution to solve the problem. 31. Self Assurance You approach your teaching and your knowledge of the subject matter with a sense of confidence. Students trust your judgment and find it easy to believe what you are saying. You help encourage your students to develop their own sense of self. You teach this self confidence by probing their thoughts during discussions or by challenging the ideas in their writing. 32. Significance Through your teaching you want to make a difference in the lives of your students. You approach your teaching with a certain sense of gravity, because you know that these educational years involve moments of significance for each person. By your actions and your words, you model your regard for the significance of each person and even each class period that is shared. 33. Strategic You bring careful thought and planning to the content of the course, to the sequence of the material, and to the specific teaching strategies and assignments, but you are always open to Plan B. You love contingency options and alternative ways of proceeding. When you explain your reasoning process and your resulting decisions, students are able to see strategic thinking in action. 34. Woo You love to win students over to your subject matter, to yourself as their teacher, to the current assignment, etc. You may be the actor, entertainer, or perhaps the quiet influencer, but your style will have an impact on the learners. You will have 7
opportunity through classroom activities or assignments to teach woo, by helping students learn how to sell an idea or be more persuasive with an argument. Reflecting on Teaching with your Strengths For each of your top 5 signature themes, think about how you use that theme in 1. Designing the course, preparing the content and sequence? 2. Preparing for a given class day? 3. Choosing instructional activities? 4. Using actual class time (in the moment, not the planning part)? 5. Relating to the students in class and outside of the classroom? 6. Understanding the students? 7. Involving students in the learning process? 8. Motivating the students to learn? Maintaining interest? 9. Establishing expectations? 10. Planning and preparing assignments? 11. Grading? Assessing learning? 12. Mentoring students? This is a personal example of bringing my own self awareness to the teaching/learning experience. I explained my approach to grading papers by sharing this information with my students: 1. My Intellection theme wants to make you think. 2. My Ideation theme wants you to consider other ideas. 3. My Maximizer theme wants to make the assignment better. 4. My Input theme will give you a new bit of information or resource. 5. My Learner theme loves to read and learn from you. 8
References Liesveld, R., & Miller, J. (2005). Teach with your strengths: How great teachers inspire their students. New York: Gallup Press. Palmer, P. (1998). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher s life. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. Palmer, P. (1998, December). Evoking the spirit in public education. Educational Leadership, pp. 6 11. 9