Hacking Deficit Thinking: 8 Reframes That Will Change the Way You Think about Strength-Based Practices and Equity in Schools

Are you focused on what's wrong with your students? Now you can transform learning by reframing your view from what's wrong to what's strong. "At risk." "Low." "Title I kids." If you've worked with students, you've probably heard or said these coded labels that reflect deficit thinking. This focus on weakness is a pervasive, powerful judgment that continues to harm students long after they leave school. It's time for educators to hack deficit thinking, think about SEL and about strength-based teaching, and reframe teaching and learning. Nationally certified school psychologists McClure and Reed show teachers, administrators, and support staff how to unlearn student blame and reframe thinking to focus on students' strengths. When we acknowledge the impact of teaching practices and the broader structural inequities, we can help everyone reach their highest potential. In Hacking Deficit Thinking, you'll learn how to: build on student strengths; think about student empathy; humanize your data; recognize the value of differences; think about teacher empathy; talk about equity in schools; tap into school-wide strengths; flourish as an educator.

About the Author :
Kelsie Reed is a nationally certified school psychologist who works in Prince George's County public schools in upper Marlboro, Maryland. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago with her PhD in 2020 and was the recipient of two university awards for her dissertation titled Investigating Exclusionary Discipline: Teachers, Deficit Thinking, and Root Cause Analysis. Reed also received awards for her dissertation work through the Society for the Study of School Psychology (SSSP) and the American Educational Research Association (AREA). Reed is passionate about advancing educational equity for minoritized students, disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline, and identifying and implementing alternatives to suspension. She has presented at the community, state, and national levels on school discipline practices. Byron McClure, D.Ed., is a National Certified school psychologist and founder of Lessons For SEL, where he uses research and human-centered design thinking to build empathy, ideate, cocreate solutions, and design equitable resources that put the needs of children front and center. He formerly served as the assistant director of school redesign at a high school in Southeast, D.C., where he was responsible for leading and reimagining what social emotional learning looked like within an inner-city community. His work centers on influencing systemic change and ensuring students from high-poverty communities have access to a quality education. McClure has extensive knowledge and expertise in mental health, social emotional learning, and behavior. McClure has done considerable work advocating for fair and equitable discipline practices for all students, particularly for African-American boys. He has designed and implemented school-wide initiatives such as SEL, restorative practices, MTSS, and trauma responsive practices. As a result of this work, his school won the 2019-2020 Whole Child Award. McClure has presented across the country as a panelist, featured speaker, and keynote speaker. He believes in maximizing everyone's limitless potential. Tyanni Mah is a professionally trained voice actor, nurse practitioner, and tea enthusiast. She draws from her experiences in theater, creative writing, and patient care to deliver genuine performances. She loves the privilege of being able to use her voice to bring your stories and passion to life! Tyanni can be heard in commercials, video game/visual novels, independent animation projects, and eLearning. Her voice has been described as dynamic, warm, and engaging. She has narrated titles across genres, from science fiction and thriller to medical nonfiction. As a Miami native, she speaks conversational Spanish, and has provided voice acting services in both English and Spanish. She uses a pseudonym to narrate extremely spicy content. Outside of the booth, Tyanni enjoys teaching the next generation of nurses, indulging in a new show or book while drinking a hot cup of tea, and continuing the battle of trying to roll out beautifully round roti for her family to enjoy. She enjoys gardening, collecting beautiful tarot decks, and cooking for her family, especially dishes that pass on her Indo-Jamaican roots to her little ones.