I am a long time believer in the power of passions. We as adults choose our professions based on passions and where we feel successful and motivated. Even when challenges arise, I find I’m able to have a growth mindset that relates to things I care about. For example, I can take on creative challenges (like this one) with fierce excitement and motivation, even ignoring my child as I am focusing on getting these thoughts down! Give me something to fix, however, and it is a total drag.  I still do it and persevere, but there is no fire. My dad, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. In this way, we need each other. Kids are the same way.

I have found that depending on any activity, when taught the same way to every child with ranging assets, the results are the same; The kids that inherently have the skills thrive, whereas the others are unmotivated and feel “less than” because of the comparison with others.  

For example, the “math kids” love math, but the “artsy kids” complain and ultimately feel and express that they hate math. And Vice Versa. For every subject. 

This constant divide within the class from subject to subject can ultimately affect relationships and self esteem, develop cliques, and decrease motivation within the class from subject to subject.  For students that have academic or equity barriers, this can only increase the barrier.

But… what if…

Instead of building classes based on student needs first, or where they struggle, we built them from student assets, or where they are passionate and already successful? AND what if the teacher shares that same passion?

Example Classrooms

Kinesthetic/Athletic Assets	Arts Assets	STEM assets	Interpersonal Assets (life sciences, SS)
Build in more opportunity for movement.	Build in more opportunity for performance and art	Build in more opportunity for engineering, technology	Build in more opportunity for discussion, collaboration

Through the Academic Lens

Students

Teachers

Would students learn better if put in a class whose instruction is tailored to their passion areas?   Where instruction is built from what they already know and are able to do? Would this provide for more enrichment activities in the asset areas? Even our strivers could get enrichment in these areas! Would learning targets “stick” if mentor texts in reading and writing could relate to passion areas?

Would students benefit from a teacher who loves teaching what they are teaching?   Would it be easier to design instruction and differentiation for a whole group (still differentiating for individual needs of course)? *It would be like classes are specialized instead of just teachers (better for teachers and students)

Example:  The math quilt project (from Bridges Curriculum, Grade 2)- same activities and lessons, tailored learning intentions. The students learn about area and geometry as they create quilt squares using squares and rectangles. They have to create quilt squares (cutting, coloring, gluing) and create matching equations.

In the Arts Asset Classroom	In the STEM Asset Classroom
Asset:  Start with the project part of making the quilt squares; kids have precision already.  Learning Intentions: focus on the mathematical equations and building mathematical concepts of area and geometry Enrich: Using asset and learning Intentions (they are given math equations and have to create more complex quilt squares)	Asset:  Start with the math aspect of area and geometry  Learning Intentions: focus on precision (MP6) and using math tools (MP4) to aid in the precision process. Enrich: Using asset and learning Intentions (they are given examples of quilt squares and have to write more complex equations or explore distributive property.)

Through the Social Emotional Lens

Students	Teachers
Would peer relationships be more positive if put in a class with other students who share the same passions?   How would this affect their mental health and vision of themselves as a learner? Would engagement replace negative behaviors?	Would student/teacher relationships be stronger if they share a common language and understanding? Would teacher self-efficacy increase? Would teacher motivation, creativity and basic enjoyment of teaching increase?

Overcoming Barriers

• These intentional groupings would need to be unknown to students in order to prevent tracking and stereotypes.  
• It is important that students would have opportunities to interact and learn from students with other assets and learn to work with others across classrooms.
• We would still need to balance girl/boy identity, teacher time, and race/ethnicity ratios within the class. 
• Teacher teams would focus on what (standards) and assessment analysis, but the how (instruction) would have to be more individualized.