Finding your Student’s superpowers
One of the many questions teachers wonder is, “How do we discover our student’s superpowers?” Beyond that, how do we help them channel it for good, truth, and justice?
In every classroom, hallway, and corner of a school, untapped superpowers are waiting to be recognized. These unique strengths, qualities, and behaviors define your students’ individuality and potential. But why aren’t you seeing their powers? The trick is recognizing that superpowers aren’t limited to the sought-after talents we often imagine.
We might want superpowers to be easily identifiable, inherently positive, and uplifting characteristics, such as empathy, creativity, resilience, humor, curiosity, or natural leadership. Instead, they emerge from unexpected, even challenging, traits born through adversity.
Imagine, if you will, catching on fire, and the only thing that can extinguish the flames is a filthy bucket of water filled with feces, larvae, and decay. Would you let someone pour it on you to save your life? Rick Yarosh faced this scenario over a decade ago. The same water that saved his life was also toxic and nearly killed him.
In the end, however, the adversity he endured from this gave him his greatest superpowers.
The Unlikely Hiding Place of Superpowers
We could share countless stories of superpowers discovered in unlikely places. Once, during a school presentation, a disruptive student nearly ruined everything because of his constant talking and hand-raising. During the demonstration of our foundational superpowers (taking someone Away, becoming their Buddy, or Confronting the situation), Tom deliberately ignored the student’s offer to volunteer because he had been so frustrated with him throughout the presentation.
At the end of the assembly, the students approached Tom and asked, “What if I distract the bully?” A light bulb went off in Tom’s head: that was EXACTLY what he was doing the whole time. His tendency to disrupt wasn’t a flaw—it was his superpower; he just didn’t know how to use it. Like many heroes who don’t know how to control their powers (like the Hulk or Cyclops), he needed a Champion Teacher to show him how.
A Champion Teacher is someone who not only sees a student’s superpower but actively fosters it. Champion Teachers help students develop confidence, self-awareness, and guidance in using their superpowers. These superpowers are the traits that make students who they are.
Often, however, the powers your students possess are a lot less ‘super’ than we’d like to imagine, at least at first glance. They may even be annoying, but you must learn to use your ‘Spidey’ senses and recognize these superpowers in disguise. For instance:
A student who constantly distracts others might be able to redirect tense situations or defuse conflict.
A student who asks too many questions might be curious enough to talk with a peer who no one knows much about.
A talkative student could have a gift for explaining things to others in a way they understand.
A fidgety student might have that infectious energy needed to inspire your school.
Recognizing these traits as strengths instead of aliments to combat is the first step toward empowering students to use their natural talents for good.
The Steps to Uncover Superpowers
Step 1: Observe, Identify, and Name the Superpower – Teachers must pay close attention to their students’ habits, behaviors, and interactions. What stands out? What makes them unique? What might they always get into trouble for? Once identified, teachers must name the student’s superpower. Telling students, “Your curiosity is your superpower” or “Your ability to make people laugh is a gift,” helps them recognize their value.
Step 2: Build a Team of Champions – Superpowers thrive with support. Collaborate with at least two other educators to identify and affirm a student’s superpower. A team of champions can reinforce the positive narrative, creating a network of encouragement around the student.
Step 3: Create Opportunities for Superpowers – Provide chances for students to practice utilizing their powers for good by sending them on little missions. This is perhaps the most challenging piece because you want it to be a bit of a head-fake for this student. You don’t have to tell them, “Hey, there is this student who is constantly picked on by a group of popular girls on the bus. I need you to go and help him.” This builds up the task into something that might feel overwhelming for this student. Instead, say something like, “Hey, I know this student who is always sitting alone on the bus, and they need some positivity. Would you mind sitting with them on the way to school?” These opportunities help students use their unique traits to create a positive impact without overwhelming them.
Superpowers at the Core of Education
Have you heard the saying, “You will know them by their fruits?” A common philosophy in identifying “good” versus “bad” actions or choices is to look at the “fruits” being produced by these actions. Whatever the tree may look like on the surface (for instance, the “tree of distraction” or “the tree of hyperactivity”), it isn’t the tree itself that tells us whether something is good or bad. It is the fruit it bears or the actions one takes with that “tree.”
When we focus on a student’s superpowers, we highlight their potential to make a difference. Students become superheroes in their strengths for good rather than bad.
Next to building relationships, the most important thing parents and educators can do is help students grow their superpowers. Sometimes, the bucket of water we must use to put out those who are “on fire” socially, emotionally, or psychologically doesn’t look clean, but it could save their lives. Every superhero’s journey includes challenges, and every student’s path to discovering their strengths might involve moments of struggle.
Imagine transforming parent-teacher conferences to focus solely on discussing your students’ superpowers. What if the school narrative prioritized building on these strengths rather than trying to mitigate deficiencies? Schools can create a culture of affirmation and opportunity by placing superpowers at the center of education.
Superpowers are neither inherently good nor evil; even supervillains have them. The goal is to channel the powers your student possesses for good. Students who feel seen and valued for who they are will develop the confidence to face challenges and the resilience to overcome them. By identifying, naming, and nurturing these powers, educators and parents can help every student become a hero.