Blog Post #4

 After reading Shannon Renkly & Katherine Bertolini,  Shifting the Paradigm from Deficit Oriented Schools to Asset Based Models: Why Leaders Need to Promote an Asset Orientation in our Schools. I noticed how they highlight the difference between seeing students for what they “lack” versus what they bring to the table.

Quote #1: “When working from a deficit perspective, the practices and assumptions that emerge tend to cover up the abilities of students and teachers (Weiner, 2006). On the other hand, an asset model, or abundance model, focuses on what a student can do: their strengths, skills, talents, interests, and competencies (Alber, 2013; Rose, 2006). (pp. 24)”

In the first Quote, she states that deficit thinking hides what students are actually capable of. I’ve experienced this myself in school when teachers assumed I wasn’t “good” at something just because I struggled in one area. It almost felt like my other strengths didn’t matter. Reading this made me realize how powerful it is when a teacher notices what you can do, instead of only pointing out what you can’t.

Quote #2: “According to Scales (1999), when schools shed their deficit model, it becomes easier for the community to become involved. Oftentimes, community members become overwhelmed when all they hear are the problems that adolescents have. When the focus shifts to assets, community members can easily work together to build up and nurture positive attributes in youth. (pp. 25)”

In the second quote, I connect this to my own community. When the conversation is always about problems, it makes people less motivated to help. But when the focus shifts to positive qualities, it creates energy and hope. I’ve seen this happen when working with peers—if we recognize each other’s skills, we naturally want to collaborate. It makes me think of schools and communities really can grow stronger when they stop labeling kids as “deficient” and start celebrating what they bring.

Quote #3: “Scales (1999) sums up the vision of asset focused schools by stating, “If we surround young people with respect and love, help them safely explore their talents, interests, and values, give them chances to make a difference in their families, schools, and communities, we’re metaphorically letting them jump into our arms” (p.119). No matter how old a child is, they all need adults that are willing to mentor them, catch them if they fall, and encourage them to get back up and try again. This can only be done with an asset model. (pp. 26) ”

In the third quote, I love the image of “letting them jump into our arms.” It reminds me of times when mentors in my life supported me even when I stumbled. Having that kind of encouragement makes you want to try again and push forward. That’s the kind of teacher I want to be—someone who sees the best in students and helps them believe in themselves, even when they fail.

Overall, this reading showed me how important it is to build classrooms on assets, not deficits. When students feel recognized for their talents and strengths, they’re more willing to grow. And honestly, that’s what school should be about.