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Positive psychology champions a code of strengths-based education. David Clifton offered research on identifying and using strengths that proved focus on strengths and the opportunity to exercise that strength increased performance. His assessment tool, Strengths Finder, begins the process.
Martin Seligman proffered the idea of a “signature strength” that could be strategically cultivated to scaffold to success. The Virtues Project proposes a “virtues sort” that evaluates core virtues, guiding virtues, strength virtues, challenge virtues, and sustaining virtues. With regard to positive psychology in the classroom, strength and virtues are synonymous
In the positive psychology classroom, there are “educational virtues”. In a recent article in the New York Times, David Brooks labels them the “learning virtues”. The learning virtues are described in the book: Cultural Foundations of Learning: East and West by Jin Li. The main thesis of her work is taht traditional western education focuses on cognitive learning while traditional eastern education emphasizes affective learning. The western approach sparks curiosity and fuses experience to create product. The eastern approach sparks purpose and fuses reflection. There is less consideration of sudden insight and more concern for accumulated foresight.
Brooks describes the difference as valuing “personal elevation” over “knowledge acquisition.” The teachings of Confucian values of sincerity, perseverance, and resilience dominate the values of understanding, reasoning, and mastery. In the West, external standards are imposed. In the East, internal standards are nurtured. In the West, failure is punished. In the East, failure is expected.
Cognitive characteristics such as curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity are high value learning strengths. Affective characteristics such as optimism, diligence, and persistence are high value learning virtues. The positive psychology movement advocates for more emphasis on the affective learning virtues even though it is a much easier task to invest in teaching common academic standards only. However, this approach renders only ½ the equation for success. This approach does not appreciate the value of blending emotional and academic learning virtues and strengths. David Brooks observes, “I’m mostly struck by the way the intellectual and moral impulses are fused in the Chinese culture and separated in the West.”
Positive psychology promotes full integration of cognitive and affective learning. The cognitive learning virtues insure the external strength that is the foundation of academic success. The affective learning virtues ensure inner strength that activates that success. The positive psychology strengths movement intends to build intrinsic motivation forged by internal virtue and strength; and not only to build extrinsic motivation framed by external expectation. Positive psychology is the “moral/academic” code - the affective/cognitive code - the inner strength/external expectation code - the emotional/intellectual code - that has the power to boost motivation.
Educate a positive psycholoyg champion today!
Do you distinguish between virttues and strengths? Do you think there are learning virtues that support academic success? Do you think you can differentiate between cognitive and affective virtues and strengths? Do you assess student's individaul strengths and virtues in any formal or informal way? Do you use the langauge of strengths and virtues in your classroom? Do you recognize strengths and virtues in your classroom? Do you have a favorite lesson that teaches strength and virtues? Do you have a favorite example of how a student's strengths or virtues helped scaffold success? Do you have a favorite example of how a student's strengths or virtues transformed teaching, learning, and relationships in your classroom?
Notes
Articles
Kenan Institute for Ethics (November 30, 2010). Neuroscience of morality. Duke University Research. http://research.duke.edu/stories/neuroscience-morality
Weiss, E., Weiss, S. & Languilli, L. (May, 2002). Teaching virtues in a basic school: A curriculum action research project. Classroom Teacher. Vol. 5(8).
Books
Borba, M. (2002). Building moral intelligence: The seven essential virtues that teach kids to do the right thing. New York: Jossey Bass.
Churchland, P.S. (2012). Braintrust: What neuroscience teaches us about morality. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Web Resources
We Choose Virtues. http://we-choose-virtues.myshopify.com
Teaching Virtues http://www.teachingvirtues.net/
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Available March 2013: Positive Psychology in the Elementary School Classroom and is the first in a series intended to help teachers build positive psychology classrooms. http://books.wwnorton.com/books/Author.aspx?id=23961
Author Page: www.pattyogrady.com
