From Deficit-Based to Assets-Based - Gabriela Valarezo

The metaphor of the ‘half-full, half-empty’ glass makes me think of a way of seeing and perceiving things in a positive manner. It makes sense to think that focusing on people’s strengths, can lead to a positive development in many aspects of their lives, rather than when giving more importance to their weaknesses.

The perspective of an asset-based approach to learning and teaching our multilingual students focuses on the ‘possessions’, the strengths that one has, whether inherited or learned through personal experiences. It looks at promoting ELs’ engagement and achievement by recognizing their strengths and identities through their “personal, social, cultural and linguistic assets and experiences” (Staehr, D. & Zacarian, D., 2020), so that we can operate from and for each individuals’ assets. 

* The characteristics that shape students’ identities are seen and used as foundations for learning and this addresses teachers to develop and provide multiple opportunities to include and honor students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

*To be able to experience this shift, it is vital that we (all educators) start by RECOGNIZING students identities, backgrounds, and strengths, as well as using their assets of both their home languages and literacy experiences as a base for learning, “so that educators develop a better understanding of the linguistic and cultural assets that students bring to their classrooms”. (Alpert, D., 2020)

*The “CALL FOR ACTION” to begin this transformation of approaches to teaching ELs, is centered around 5 practical strategies for us to reflect upon different levels ~ ‘Individual-School-Community-District’. 

These action statements include, in a very accurate fashion, terms such as:

1. Building relationships

2. Engaging the school community

3. Helping colleges to recognize ELs’ assets (challenge)

4. Using storytelling to highlight ELs’ strengths

5. Building upon home languages and literacy experiences’ assets

Moving from a deficit-based perspective that looks at what students are NOT doing, to an assets-based approach that focuses on identifying the many strengths and assets that our students, families, schools and communities posses, will not only “lead our students to far greater academic and social-emotional success” (Alpert, D., 2020), but also “allows all of our students to shine through”. (Zacarian, D., 2020

References:

• Alpert, D., From Deficit-Based to Assets-Based: Breaking Down the Wall One Essential Shift at a Time - Language Magazine. (2020). Retrieved 22 January 2020, from https://www.languagemagazine.com/2020/01/22/from-deficit-based-to-assets-based-breaking-down-the-wall-one-essential-shift-at-a-time/

• Gadhia, D.,(2020) [On-line presentation], presentation based on Calderón, M, et al (2020). Breaking down the wall: Essential shifts for English learners’ success, Corwin. 

• Zacarian, D., (2020) Breaking Down the Wall: Essential Shifts for English Learners' Success [Webinar archived]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/CorwinPress/videos/2458424494437142/?t=1461

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