Gary Avants

Bautista Creek Elementary School

Hemet, CA 92543

Recently I took some of Gene Bedley’s advice concerning students in my

ED classroom. He explained to me the concept of Asset Building or helping

students to understand the unique gifts and abilities they have instead of

focusing on their problems.

Many of my students come to my class with the weight of labels hanging

around their necks. I get more “I can’t” than I do any other response out

of them. I wanted my kids to see what they could do and re-direct that

energy into productive “I’ll try”.

So we began by giving the students “nicknames” that suited a strength

that they showed readily. Leon had a very negative attitude about himself. He

tended to be abusive verbally and physically towards others. Leon shines

in the area of logical thinking and is able to tackle large concepts well. I

noticed this when he approached the logic/problem solving game of MYST

that he didn’t need help as most of my students do.

I realized that in Leon’s case as in many of my students’ situations that he

doesn’t see what he is capable of accomplishing.

He is so full of rage, anger and frustration that that part of him is like a

crushed plant needing the weight lifted so it can begin to blossom again.

Simon is a nine-year old student who spends a lot of his time whining

and complaining about others who whine and complain. He can screech

and holler when he doesn’t get his way. Simon is a very organized and

detailed person. He catches and observes details that many others miss.

Sandy, who is a similar detail