Resources for Teachers

The Strengths Movement message is designed to bring parents and teachers together with the single common purpose of looking at our children's best attributes and working together to develop them fully. Our goal must be to provide teachers with a variety of tried and proven resources that they can use. The book is the starting place. Beyond that, this page contains other resources that any teacher looking to build on student strengths will find useful.

Philosophy
Read the case for strengths focus in this Strengths Movement Executive Summary.
Read about the Movement's Strategic Imperatives.

Curriculum
The Strengths Movement in Schools began with a curriculum. Read here about the Affinities Program.

You can find sample lessons from the Program here.
Share the Possibilities
Working With Authority
The Force of Gratitude

Schools
Many schools are already doing extraordinary work with programs that build on student strengths. One of our goals is to connect them for dialogue.

The Purnell School in Pottersville, NJ is the starting place for the Strengths Movement in Schools. Lead by Jenifer Fox and Ayanna Hill-Gill, Purnell uses an all-school strengths approach. Fox created the Affinites Program for Purnell and it remains a source for some of the best ideas in strengths based teaching.

The Leelanau School in Glen Arbor, MI also takes an innovative and explicitly strengths based approach to its educational program. In conjunction with leading psychologist Dr. Ned Hallowell, Leelenau combines interdisciplinary studies, hands-on, project based learning and a strengths focus.

The Strengths Movement is always looking for good ideas from teachers and for schools with good ideas. Please contact us nicksiewert at purnell.org if you have something strong to share.