Hacking Deficit Thinking: 8 Reframes That Will Change The Way You Think About Strength-Based Practices and Equity In Schools

by Byron McClure, Kelsie Reed

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 on student strengthsThink about student empathyHumanize your dataRecognize the value of differencesThink about teacher empathyTalk about equity in schoolsTap into school-wide strengthsFlourish as an educator
Ready to reframe your thinking and go from what's wrong to what's strong? Read Hacking Deficit Thinking today, and reframe your view from what's wrong to what's strong.

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 2, 2022

Reviews

[Mayra G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book that I highly recommend to other educators and/or school-based professionals!

My favorite chapter was Reframe 7. The pandemic exacerbated issues that were already present in school systems and practices, thus this book provides us with knowledge and real-life examples of how to change education and some of the everyday practices that reflect deficit thinking. I love how it also incorporated sections on how to address pushback. Looking at our students and their families through a strengths-based lens is such an incredibly important first step.

[Tori Stabile · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve already started sharing this book with my local school psychologists and educators. Worth a read and I’ve pulled some great information on how to approach my evaluations with a more strengths based mindset. But also how to do that with teachers before we even get to the referral process. SO GOOD!!

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be a refreshing and compelling read as a practicing school psychologist. This book provided action steps and resources that will be easy and manageable to implement for the next school year.

[Robert C · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a book that I was asked to read at work, where I am a Middle School teacher. I was not singled out to read it, all of the teachers were given a free copy.

There were some good points. The central thesis is to not label students by their background and environment. Instead, to look for positive things within the environment to allow us to reframe our view of the student. Toward that, the book gives several euphemisms to change what we are saying. There is good research saying that if we alter the words we use, we will change how we view those things. As you can see, I am not saying it is all bad; there is some insight.

However, the book places a lot of emphasis on the schools being too white and too male. This conflicts with a recent NPR story that states that if we "Go back to 1980, and 40% of elementary and middle school teachers were male. Now it's down to one in 10 in elementary schools." I have to ask, how male is "too male." Would simply banning men from the profession be enough to satisfy the authors?

As far as being too white, and the book refers to the existing schools as being "white supremacists." The reality is that whites are not entering teaching colleges at a proportional rate. The book also calls for racially proportionate office referrals and other disciplinary functions. I agree that it is very important to make sure that no group of students is treated unfairly. However, having lower standards of expected behaviour, based on minority group status, is also a harmful form of racism. I agree with collecting the data in order to promote introspection, on the part of the teachers. However, I disagree with the idea that disciplinary actions should be required to conform to racial quotas.

This is by no means the only case of the schools being called "white supremacists." It is the overriding theme of the second half of the book. Frankly, the overriding theme of the second half of the ebook is the repeated, in one form or another, complaint that the schools are too white and too male. This prejudice, on the part of the authors, makes the book as hard to plough through the pages of as any other racist rant put to words. If the authors would shelve their racism and sexism, it would probably have made a much better book. unfortunately, they weren't able to do that and the book, along with the point they were trying to make, is severely weakened by it.

[Courtney Mccarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone in education should read this book! It’s so good and I hope to find a time where I can problem solve more into how to use this information to better my personal practice as a school psychologist. A lot of my work is with student data and I want to take more of a humanistic approach. To see the whole child. Every child has their strengths. That part of the book reminded me of the Multiple Intelligence theory by Gardner. I also wonder if using the testing classifications for scores gives off deficit thinking. I also feel bad when presenting my results and all the scores are Very Low. So I’m going to try to think of better ways to present the information. Satellite data was also talked about and how we need more qualitative analysis when building on a student’s strengths. Satellite data can not be the only thing used to create change in the future. We need to magnify the voices! SNAPS. I am also thinking I’ll include the Three Good Things activity into my journaling.

Favorite quotes:
”The magic begins once we accept that we suffer from conditioned deficit thinking” page 14
“Are they actually what these test scores say they are, or is it that the test score being the only indicator is the problem?” Page 26
“A strength-based approach is unique because it centers on the needs of people from a lens that is optimistic, innovative, resilient, and collaborative. Put people first.” Page 29
“Normalize feeling our data being vulnerable, and validating the experiences of students” page 80
“We wouldn’t need special education if we didn’t confined the educational experience to one approach method, and expect similar outcomes” page 149
“We accept that all flowers and plants have different environmental needs. Our students have unique needs too.” Page 152

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always a little skeptical about books like this because they don't do us much good if the premise is amazing but the work isn't grounded in reality. This book is mostly rooted in reality and I took away a few concrete ideas of practices I want to try implementing with staff. While quite repetitive and idealistic, this book does not ignore the current reality of teaching in America, with rules that govern funding and mandated standardized testing. Nor does this book advocate for the toxic positivity that insists anyone could be anything; instead it is urging teachers to seriously consider students' strengths and organize environments in which students can be successful, whatever that success might look like for each student. All in all, I finished this book excited to share it with others.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ but rounded up

Used this book as a work book study, which was great because it had a lot of reflections and thought points. However, the book became extremely repetitive. The arguments were completely valid, but the book felt like it could have been cut by 50 pages. This was mainly due to the “solutions” becoming the same ideologies over and over again. Loved the premise of the book and the ideologies in education, however I felt like I was rereading the same solution over and over with new wording. I would still recommend for educators and professionals in mental health, as it was easy to consume! Also - perks for it being written by school psychologists!!! Represent!

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to read this for a book study for work… hates on pupil services (school psych specifically) when it’s authored by two trained school psychs. Has helpful points but gives unrealistic tips and “to-dos for tomorrow” that are only doable for educators with unlimited time and resources. I would only recommend segments of this book to people in education who really need the message to see student for their strengths instead of their deficits. But as an educator who makes every effort to practice this…. This one missed the mark.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every educator should read this.