Strength-Based PD Could Be in the Future for K-12 Teachers

Companies Hobsons and Gallup have merged together to bring to K-12 classrooms provide teachers with professional development courses the work by identifying the individual's strengths.

"Now available through Hobsons, the Unlocking Educator Strengths professional development package includes an online course, Gallup’s adult Clifton StrengthsFinder® assessment and report, the book Teach with Your Strengths, and Action Planning Guides. Participants will take Gallup’s Clifton StrengthsFinder® assessment to identify their top five strengths. The flexible online learning module will then show educators how to best exercise their strengths in the classroom," said the company in a statement.

With all of the controversy surrounding effective professional development and preparation in the teaching profession, Education World talked to Steve Smith, president of Hobsons' K-12 division about what sets Unlocking Educator Strengths apart.

Education World: Part of the problem with professional development is that programs don't define goals for teachers to improve upon. How does Unlocking Educator Strengths remedy this?

Steven Smith: Unlike many of today’s professional development programs, Unlocking Educator Strengths is about helping teachers better understand their own strengths and how those apply in the classroom. It’s a much more holistic approach to personal and professional development, and it’s inherently individualized. Starting with Gallup's Clifton StrengthsFinder® assessment, teachers first identify their own strengths. Then, at their pace, they move through personalized content that helps them make sense of their unique set of strengths, and learn how they can be applied in their day-to-day practice in the classroom.

To ensure that teachers develop impact-oriented goals, Unlocking Educator Strengths includes Teacher Action Planning Guides that help teachers understand how they can maximize their strengths in the classroom. A core concept of the course is that talent combined with investment equals strengths. The investment piece is where goals come in. Gallup research shows that when teachers focus on maximizing strengths, rather than improving on weaknesses, the impact is powerful.

Gallup’s research also shows that teachers who use their own strengths every day are much more likely to be engaged in their work, and engaged teachers create classrooms where students are engaged and learning.

EW: What are some examples of Signature Themes that individually define the strengths of teachers in order for them to improve classroom instruction?

SS: There are 34 total strengths (the assessment helps identify your top 5). Among these are Activator, Belief, Communicator, Maximizer, Responsibility, Strategic. The course then helps teachers make sense of what those strengths look like in the classroom, and what actions they can take to maximize those strengths. For example, if a teacher’s top strength is “Maximizer,” she will have a keen awareness for quality performance. The key for this individual is to notice the best that is within each student and help them achieve to their greatest potential.

EW: With the districts that have worked with the PD package thus far- what kind of successes have they experienced in reaching development goals?

SS: Districts like Howard County Public Schools in Maryland have provided strengths-based resources for both teachers and students. It’s changing the school culture for everyone. Students are paired up with teachers and administrators in their school who have the same strengths, giving them real-world examples of people who are similarly wired and creating meaningful conversations between adults and students about the value of using their strengths. Students are also identifying their own strengths and linking that to careers of people who share those strengths.

The PD has helped teachers focus more of their attention on maximizing their strengths, rather that focusing on weakness—which research has shown often yields little improvement. Teachers are able to use their strengths to understand how to better relate with their peers and their students. Some teachers are even sharing their strengths in their email signature. A recent Gallup survey of Howard County employees found that staff were more engaged in their work than the previous year. (The poll found 40% of Howard County employees were engaged, up from 34% the previous year).

Learn more about Unlocking Educator Strengths here, and comment with your thoughts below.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

08/28/2015