What Are Your Top Five?

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     A few years ago in one of my graduate courses I was assigned to read Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton. Just recently, all of the administrators in my district received a similar book entitled StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath. The latter book is claimed to be a “new and improved” version. Both books help readers to uncover their talents and stress the importance in developing their strengths instead of focusing on their shortcomings. After completing an on-line StrengthsFinder assessment (you have to purchase a book to receive an access code), I received my top five talents in which I totally agree with all five. Now, I have access to resources that will help me apply my strengths. Do you think people should focus on their strengths as oppose to their weaknesses in the workplace? What about in a school setting? Should teachers focus on students’ strengths instead of areas of weaknesses? 





Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 25, 2016 at 12:24 PM

    Concerning our weaknesses in the workplace, I do believe should focus on what we may lack. The reason is simple, at least for me it is. If I don't identify and work on my weaknesses someone else will to my detriment. As teachers we hear so much about educating and knowing the whole student (child) that to focus on just their strengths might be a disservice to the student. This entire focus on our strengths just reminds me that we are a society that gives out participation trophies for everyone....

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  2. TraciJanuary 26, 2016 at 10:09 AM

    I believe we should focus on both. If we only focus on what we struggle with, it may lead to low self esteem. With that said, we have to understand and work to strengthen them. The same can be said with students. Celebrate our successes and embrace our weaknesses, so we can overcome them.

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  3. UnknownJanuary 29, 2016 at 6:21 PM

    Yes! Awesome post, and I do think teachers should focus more on students' strengths. I hate to see elementary (or any) students pulled out of connection classes such as music, art, band, etc. because they need remediation in math. I listened to Dr. Bill Daggett speak last month, and he preached the same thing. What sense does it make to take pull a student out of a class that they love (and are probably good at) to give them a double dose of a subject that they are struggling in and dislike? The challenge is identifying their strengths and figuring out how to use them as a catalyst for teaching all the other stuff.

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  4. HollyEliseJanuary 31, 2016 at 5:57 PM

    I think we should focus on both. Identifying weaknesses and working to improve them will only help us. While working on our strengths is important in both our personal and professional life, I think it is important to realize that we are not perfect in all areas and must work to strengthen areas that need improvement.

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