About This Lesson
When we notice and name each other's strengths, the whole community benefits from improved relationships.
At your first meeting or conference, have parents complete the brief VIA Strengths Survey (viacharacter.org) to identify strengths they believe their child displays and discuss how they believe their child’s strengths will be displayed during the year. Revisit their survey at ALL parent/teacher conferences.
This printable resource is a great tool for IEP meetings and check-ins with parents to ensure that goals, activities, and feedback are aligned with the student’s strengths. This is also a great activity for parents to share with family and friends so they can see both overlapping and unique strengths for the people their child regularly interacts with.
This printable checklist and digital survey can help you implement Strength Spotting, a positive intervention about noticing and celebrating what's right in yourself and others and can help create a positive school-wide culture. Imagine the positivity that could ripple through our exchanges if we started leading with our own strengths and spotting the strengths of others.
Here's what you'll get:
- Printable checklist and Character Strength Descriptions
- Digital resources for implementing Character Strengths & Strength Spotting in the classroom
- Access to Strength Spotting lesson plans and a unit study
Why you'll love this activity:
*Focusing on what is right about ourselves and others tremendously impacts our wellbeing and community relationships and engagement.
* The activity is easy to read and implement
* You can use this resource as part of a comprehensive, science-based unit study.
* The associated free unit study for Strength Spotting comes with activities, downloadable worksheets, and even IEP and BIP recommendations tailored specifically to students with autism.
Ways to Use
- Use to support a positive school culture
- Incorporate into SEL curriculum
- Integrate into small groups and/or individual counseling sessions
- Families can use this at home, too!
What is Strength Spotting?
Humans have a biological need to be seen and appreciated for who we are at our core — in other words, our Signature Strengths. Positive Psychology researchers Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson created the Values in Action Survey or The VIA. This 96-item VIA survey identifies your capacity to exhibit each of 24 Character Strengths. These 24 strengths were identified as being valued by humans across many cultures and holding value throughout history.
Strength Spotting builds on the skill of Character Strengths, moving you from simply becoming AWARE of your strengths to EXPLORING and APPLYING them more intentionally. Strength Spotting is the skill of noticing, describing, and appreciating the Character Strengths in yourself and those around you. This skill encourages you to see people as an orchestra of strengths by shining the light on what is best with the people around you and in your community. This practice not only benefits you—it also helps others, including students with autism, increase their capacity to put their strengths into action in beneficial ways. Let's shine a light on what is RIGHT with us and those around us so we might all flourish together.
The Science of Strength Spotting
The evidence is clear — knowing and using your strengths positively impacts your life. If you keep your strengths top of mind and live them each day, you're significantly more likely to thrive. People who know their strengths and utilize the practice of Strength Spotting experience:
- Enhanced overall wellbeing and life satisfaction
- Greater happiness and less depression
- Greater relationship satisfaction
- Less stress and reduced anxiety
- Higher levels of positive work experiences
- Increased intrinsic motivation and engagement
Looking for more Strength Spotting resources?
* Explore the free Strength Spotting Unit Study, which comes with teaching slides, additional worksheets and activities, and even IEP and BIP recommendations tailored specifically to students with autism.
Proof Positive's resources are and will always be free. Be well!
★Bonus access to full lesson plans and unit studies on the skills of happiness at our Skill Center
