About This Lesson
Are you benefitting from the strengths of your school community? Start spreading character strengths now with this school wide bulletin board showcasing your community’s strengths.
Before getting started, have students and staff take the VIA Character Survey to discover their unique set of strengths. This is a great way to get your community thinking about what is RIGHT with them, how their strengths show up in their lives, and how to put their strengths into action.
Then, create a schoolwide bulletin board where each of the 24 Character Strengths are named and defined. When someone displays a strength, fill out a recognition card and give
it to them to post on the board.
Here’s what you’ll get:
- Printable bulletin board featuring the 24 Character Strengths
- Printable sheets of recognition cards to cut out and post on the board
- Access to Character Strengths lesson plans and a unit study
Why you’ll love these bulletin board:
*Focusing on what is right about ourselves and others has a tremendous impact on 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 Character Strengths comes with activities, downloadable worksheets, and even IEP and BIP recommendations tailored specifically to students with autism
Ways to Use
- Incorporate into SEL curriculum
- Use to celebrate students and staff in your community
- Families can use this at home, too!
What are Character 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.
The skill of identifying character strengths centers on the question of “What is RIGHT with me?” and “Who am I at my BEST?” The science of character strengths is clear — focusing on what is right about ourselves and others has a tremendous impact on our wellbeing, relationships, and engagement. This is true of everyone, including students with autism. Employing Signature Character Strengths can help empower students in all aspects of their lives. Let’s shine a light on what is RIGHT with us and those around us so we might all flourish together.
Science of Character Strengths
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. Research indicates a three-pronged approach to character strengths is best — become aware, begin to explore, and continually find new ways to apply your strengths in order to thrive! Knowing and using your character strengths can:
- Improve mental, physical, and social health
- Boost greater happiness and overall wellbeing
- Increase work satisfaction and positive association with work
- Improve your relationships
- Buffer against the onset of mental health challenges
- Build psychological resilience
Looking for more Character Strengths resources?
* Explore the free Character Strengths 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
