A Strengths Story: Utilizing

StrengthsQuest in Your Course Foundation

Presented by: Debora Finch, M.Ed. & Meaghan Mundy, Ph.D. Belmont University

A Strengths Story

❖ Introduction: Becoming More of Who We Are Meant to Be

❖ Chapter 1: Unpacking the Strengths Backpack

❖ Chapter 2: Intellectual Growth & Inquiry

❖ Chapter 3: Strengths as Part of Your Story

Sara’s Story

❖ Includer

❖ Input

❖ Learner

❖ Restorative

❖ Developer

Donald O. CliftonPrimary Author of “StrengthsQuest”

The Father of Strengths Psychology Grandfather of Positive Psychology

Chapter 1: Unpacking the Strengths Backpack

❖ What is the difference between a talent and a strength?❖ How does positive psychology define “weakness”?❖ What is the myth of well-roundedness?❖ What is meant by the term “strength-colored” glasses?

Name It! Claim It! Aim It!Strengths Development Model

Chapter 2: Intellectual Growth and Inquiry

“Discovery, development, and application” (SQ, page 11).

Treasure Mapping: “Strengths Spotting” your X

➢ What ideas, images, colors and words speak to you? ➢ How do they capture your present understanding of what you value most?➢ How will they add to the vision of your future?

Strengths and Talents as Course Foundation

Intellectual Growth and Inquiry

IGI Syllabus #1 Goal

✓ Identify and critically evaluate how individual strengths and weaknesses will impact academic performance in this and other courses.

Aiming for the:

Through the course, Strengthsfinder

assessment is centralized to help students integrate:

PassionMission

ProfessionVocation

Chapter 3: Strengths as Part of your Story

Worry is the advance price you pay for trouble that may never come.

The Deepest Aspects of your Personhood (SQ Chapter 11)

Heart

Soul

Mind

Strength

Our TALENTS help us understand who we are.

• They describe us.

• They influence our choices.

• They direct our actions.

• They explain why we are better at some things than others.

• They help us filter our world.

4 Domains of Team Strength

The Story’s End… & Beginning

Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything. Maybe it’s about un-becoming everything that isn’t really you so you can be more who you were meant to be in the first place.