Ally and I were at Norris earlier this week for their first strength day. We were meeting with the younger Strengths Explorer students, helping to facilitate the survey and talk through their results. There was one student who had to come from another building, so he had to wait until all students were done with their surveys so that the Coordinator could walk him back to his class. He finished his survey quickly and his Top 3 were Competing, Achieving, and Confidence.
While he was waiting, I saw him messing around, looking a bit bored. He started stacking markers together making a tower, like most kids (and many adults) do. So, I went over to him and asked him if he wanted to do a fun activity. I said, "I wonder if you could make a marker sculpture to depict your strengths." He quickly took on the challenge and we gathered all the markers to one table. He got to work. I didn't make one full lap around the room before he declared, "I'm done". I went over to him, surprised (although I shouldn't have been given Achieving and Competition), and asked him to explain his sculpture to me. He said, "it's a race." He pointed to the standing red marker and said, "that's me" and to the two markers lying down on the right, "this is the finish line." He noted that he had achieved getting to the end of the race, while winning it at the same time. "Look at all the other racers behind me!", he exclaimed, in a true Competing fashion. I added that he spoke with the confidence to know he would come in first place. Over the course of 2 minutes, we were able to gather resources and come up with an activity where this student got to claim all three of his strengths.
You see, there's a lot that goes into implementing strengths in a chapter. There are codes, and schedules, and training, and handouts. While each of those elements are important for implementation, we cannot let those things get in the way of our purpose in it. You see ,strengths is so simple. It's about these moments when we see the ownership of strengths in a student or adult and are there to cheer them on. We get to say, "Yes, that's it" and "That is what is uniquely good and right about YOU!" Strengths allows us to recognize our talents and use them to reach out full potential. So grab the resources around you- if it is a stack of markers, a paper and pencil, or just a conversation partner- and use them to name and claim your strengths. I promise that in the process you will come to a greater recognition and ownership over your strengths and a sense of wonder for the strengths of those around you.
While he was waiting, I saw him messing around, looking a bit bored. He started stacking markers together making a tower, like most kids (and many adults) do. So, I went over to him and asked him if he wanted to do a fun activity. I said, "I wonder if you could make a marker sculpture to depict your strengths." He quickly took on the challenge and we gathered all the markers to one table. He got to work. I didn't make one full lap around the room before he declared, "I'm done". I went over to him, surprised (although I shouldn't have been given Achieving and Competition), and asked him to explain his sculpture to me. He said, "it's a race." He pointed to the standing red marker and said, "that's me" and to the two markers lying down on the right, "this is the finish line." He noted that he had achieved getting to the end of the race, while winning it at the same time. "Look at all the other racers behind me!", he exclaimed, in a true Competing fashion. I added that he spoke with the confidence to know he would come in first place. Over the course of 2 minutes, we were able to gather resources and come up with an activity where this student got to claim all three of his strengths.
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| Here is a picture I took of the mentee's sculpture |
You see, there's a lot that goes into implementing strengths in a chapter. There are codes, and schedules, and training, and handouts. While each of those elements are important for implementation, we cannot let those things get in the way of our purpose in it. You see ,strengths is so simple. It's about these moments when we see the ownership of strengths in a student or adult and are there to cheer them on. We get to say, "Yes, that's it" and "That is what is uniquely good and right about YOU!" Strengths allows us to recognize our talents and use them to reach out full potential. So grab the resources around you- if it is a stack of markers, a paper and pencil, or just a conversation partner- and use them to name and claim your strengths. I promise that in the process you will come to a greater recognition and ownership over your strengths and a sense of wonder for the strengths of those around you.
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