Spotting and Managing Strengths for
Gritty Self-Regulation,
Resilience, and Achievement
Canadian Positive Psychology Conference
18 July 2014
Sherri Fisher, MEd, MAPP
www.learnandflourish.com 1
• Incorporates research-
based findings into
positive, personalized,
best-practice strategies
for learning, parenting,
and work.
• Develops the strengths
of students, parents and
educators by building
the foundation of
positivity and optimism
that supports
achievement.
• Today we are talking
about P-O-S.
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What Dogs Show Us About
Strengths, Self-regulation and Resilience
Even the same class, breed, age, and color
responds differently to training, rewards,
expectations, opportunities and disappointments.
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Reduce or prevent depression and anxiety
Increase enjoyment and engagement in school
Improve curiosity and love of learning
Enhance social skills
Increase academic achievement
Why Positive Education Practices?
The Short List of Research Findings
From this… To this…
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Strengths
Qualities and abilities to identify, harness
for your growth and achievement.
Use to overcome challenges.
Learn to spot and manage the strengths
that are keys to your success.
Kids like the VIA:
http://www.viacharacter.org/www/The-Survey
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What Are Your Strengths?
How Can You Tell?
They emerge during a challenge as well as a good time.
They are an automatic response, and part of who you are without really thinking about them.
They are your preferred way.
Other people can spot these strengths in you, too, and it feels good to be recognized by them for using your strengths.
You may even find that other people who do not evidence this strength seem weak or “don’t get it”.
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The SMART Strengths Model
Spot: Know your own strengths. Be better observers of strengths in others. Be more attentive to spotting what is good instead of trying to find fault. Manage: Intentionally combine strengths to bring out the best in you and others.
Advocate: Use shared language and behaviors effectively to convey awareness of both strengths and needs. Relate: Good relationships--using strengths while connecting with and appealing to others. Strength buttons can get pushed when other people’s strengths are in conflict with your own. Train: Use your strengths individually and in relationships. Develop these skills in others.
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What About Weaknesses?
Don’t ignore weaknesses: Use existing strengths to make improvements where there are difficulties.
All strengths have shadow sides.
People who know how to use and manage their character and their neurodevelopmental strengths are also more resilient, more motivated, and more engaged.
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Strengths: Talents for Meeting Challenges
Context Matters!
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Teamwork: Engagement-Seeking
in Adolescents Some strengths are
developmental. Adolescents’ brain wiring means that they value novel rewards over consequences.
Students generally value humor, teamwork, and zest over perseverance and love of learning. Statistically speaking, teamwork, humor, zest, and fairness are stronger in children and teens than in adults.
Hitch one of your “star” strengths to these to improve your connections to students.
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“Having a Moment”
Strengths Buttons Activity
Think of an example of a time in the last week when you felt like someone else really aggravated you.
Did it feel as if the other person was aggravating you on purpose?
What are your shadow strengths?
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Master Strengths:
Self-Regulation and
Persistence
Self-regulation predicts many
desirable behavioral and
emotional outcomes.
Complementary Theories of Self-regulation
1) Stable personality trait (like some strengths)
2) Like a muscle and gets stronger with use
3) Improved when people learn to believe that their will
power is not limited (a skill you can learn) 4) Improves when depletion is “repleted” (add caffeine,
glucose, rest)
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Resilience Is About Thinking.
Resilience in Positive Education is a learned
set of skills for effectively dealing with:
1. Real-time resilience for momentary
negative emotions (“Shake it off’)
2. Everyday resilience for accumulated
difficulties during a day that included
undesirable events (“What Went Well”)
3. Resilience for bigger setbacks
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Thinking
makes a fine
servant but a
terrible
master.
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The thinker or the ruminator?
Rumination is correlated with
depression.
TAKE ACTION.
It’s easier to shake it off when??
General Factors Leading to Resilience
A study of at-risk American newborns followed as part of a 50-year longitudinal study found these factors to be
predictive of resilience:
• have a caring adult in their lives • develop and value personal competence and
determination
• show a strong capacity to work, even in childhood • set goals for their adult life, even when they are
children
• believe that failures will happen, but that you can always try again
• active in community service
• withdraw from family members enmeshed in problems (More on this topic in my article “Resilience as a Life Skill” on PositivePsychologyNews.com)
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Benefits of Optimism & Resilience:
Research Findings Mental Flexibility
explain failures as things that can be
improved upon next time
have control over important things in
their lives
believe they have positive attributes
~~~~~
Health
less stressed
healthier behavior, e.g. better sleep,
eating, and exercise
stronger resistance to illnesses like the
common cold, more positive
response to medical care
higher mental health
less likely to be diagnosed with
depression
Positivity make more appropriate choices
more likely to be able to delay
gratification
more effective coping skills
manage stressful behaviors more
effectively
~~~~~
Goal-driven Success
more motivated to do what is
necessary to achieve goals
work harder and persist at
challenging tasks
predicts positive school
performance
out-predicts the SAT at predicting
college success
achieve greater success, and $$,
over time
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Social Comparison Starts Young
How we measure up
to people we
admire, or who have
something we think
we want
Reinforces the “I’ll
never measure up”
track on the personal
playlist
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When is Pessimism (sort of) Good?
+ Low expectations with high preparation:
• Feel good or even pleasantly surprised
and relieved if things go well
• Protects against a poor outcome
But…
--Can lead to burnout over time, trapped
in a performance anxiety loop.
This happens to teachers, too.
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Learned Helplessness Playlist
“(I’ll Never)
Measure Up”
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T-E-A: Managing the Negativity Bias
TEA=
Thought
Emotion
Action
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FAB Thoughts: Flexible, Accurate Alternatives Broaden & Build
• What is the evidence for the claim?
• Is this entirely accurate?
• How can you change even a small item in the claim that will self-talk the person into believing an alternative and TRUE thought?
• Audrey story
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In University: Resilience is Messy.
THOUGHTS
EMOTION ACTION
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Interpreting Thoughts Leads to Action
The T-E-A Cycle
Thought:
They hate me. I’ll never be friends with them.
Emotion:
Sadness
Action:
Withdraw
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Change a Thought… Resilience in Real-time
Facts versus interpretation:
I finished last.
x I am the stupidest girl in 4th grade.
The girls are laughing.
x I will never be friends with them.
Managing Thinking Biases:
Negativity (Bad is stronger than good.)
Confirmation (We see what we are looking for.)
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Biases in History: Actions Have Consequences
The Shot Heard ‘Round the World
British
• T: The colonists have no
right to resist me (King
George III). We need to
defend Britain and
punish them.
• E: Anger
• A: Send soldiers to
attack munitions center
Colonists • T: We should be free to
govern ourselves. There are
too many taxes and we
have no representation in Parliament.
• E: Anger
• A: Train spies and militia to warn colonists and resist the
soldiers
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Interpretations (Thoughts) Emotions (Re)Actions
Situation: The British Redcoats March on Lexington and Concord
Accuracy: What target are
you hitting? 60 Second Activity:
1) Think of a recent time when you did not complete a task. Write down the reasons why this happened. 2) Tell the person next to you. Can they come up with alternatives to challenge your negative thinking? Swap.
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Self-efficacy Meets Gratitude:
What Went Well?
• What happened?
• What was good about it?
• Why did it happen?
– If consistently random, suspect the fixed
mindset.
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Mindset Thoughts
That Lead to Inaction
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x Fixed Mindset: Success is random.
• Intelligence is a quantity or an entity and I
only have so much.
• What I do will not make me smarter.
• At some point my potential will be reached,
maybe today.
Yikes!! Better to fail NOT trying.
Mindset Thoughts That Lead to Action
Growth Mindset: I help drive my own success.
• What I do makes me smarter.
• Intelligence is something that I can
develop, and smarter is what I can
become.
• My potential is unknowable until I try, get
feedback, and try again.
• I can make good things happen.
Better get started!
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CARS: Strengths on the Journey
+ Competence:
• Efficacy—Skills match needs
• Optimism, Resilience, Resourcefulness Support Effort
+ Autonomy:
• Sense of Control Over Life
• Voice and Choice
+ Relatedness:
• Loving and Respectful Social Connections
• Social Thriving
_______________________________
*Self-determination:
• Growth Opportunities
• Choices Consistent with Student Interests and Values
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(*Adapted From Ryan and Deci)
What Can You DO About
the “Fixed Mindset” Student?
• Focus on Competence and Mastery.
• Provide opportunities for Voice and Choice that use learned skills.
• Give Process Praise and Specific Feedback.
• Ask the student what they did and how it affected the outcome.
• Coach for incremental adjustments.
• Support the student team.
• Help prepare the path for a future “performance”.
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How Teachers Think:
Goals, Objectives, Organization
Big Picture--Curriculum
Goals Daily Schedule
Time Sensitive—Weekly Planning Action Oriented
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Week of…. 4/25-4/29/2011
Monday
4/25
Tuesday
4/26
Wednesday
4/27
Thursday
4/28
Friday
4/29
English/Language Arts
Test Friday: Practice problems
Test Friday Ex Help
Test Friday Make
practice test
Test Friday Take Practice
Test
Test
Math
Lab Lab Due Science
Review Notes/Compare
to book
Quiz Thu
Quiz tomorrow
Quiz
Social Studies
Quiz Wed LangLab aft
sch
Quiz Wed Practice w/Joe
Oral Quiz
Foreign Language
Bring Batteries
for tomorrow
Art/Music/Specials
After School Activities
Llab, Game Ex Help Game
Saturday
Soccer 4:30
Sunday
Notes
SS test: 83
(Pract test)
Sci quiz: 3/5
(pop quiz—did not
study)
1. Work
Backwards:
What is the
goal? What
steps are
needed to
accomplish
it?
2. Assign study
time and
kind
3. Record
performanc
e and what
got you
there: in
Notes and in
WWW.
• What
happened?
• What was
good about
it?
• Why did it
happen?
4. Use
technology
reminders.
5. Synchronize.
Embedding Tools for Resilience and Achievement
WWW: 1. 2. 3.
1. 2. 3.
1. 2. 3.
1. 2. 3.
1. 2. 3.
1. 2. 3.
½ Day
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Reading and Resources
• Positive Psychology News
Daily: Over 50 articles
applying PP research to a
variety of topics, including
education-- http://positivepsychologynews.com/news/sherri-fisher
• UPenn Capstone: Building a
Foundation for Positive
Psychology in Schools--http://repository.upenn.edu
/mapp_capstone/18
• SMART Strengths – Book:
• Bloghttp://www.learnandflo
urish.com/blog
• New Book: The Effort Myth,
coming in 2015
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