TEACH Strength Spotting

1. Include the student’s Signature Strengths, with the most common ways they display that strength in action, as a section of your BIP template.Examples:Zest: “Student X is highly enthusiastic and energetic. This strength can be seen in the speed with which to do things, their willingness to run errands for the teacher and their excitement during body/brain breaks.”
   Humor: “Student X is extremely funny and playful. This strength can be seen in the way they are quick to laugh when the teacher makes a joke, their ability to draw attention to themselves and make others laugh, and their authentic joy in playing games in the classroom.”
2. Ensure the student’s signature strengths are posted and present in their visual field during all classroom activities. This can include their desk, the wall/board in front of them, or included with another tracker they regularly use. Engage in Strength Spotting when the student independently utilizes a signature strength.
3. Ensure the student’s signature strengths are posted and present on all data collection forms. Include a space for the person collecting behavioral data to include strengths they spotted across the session or day.
4. Develop a plan for the target behavior of increasing the number of times (frequency) a student independently and effectively uses a Signature Strength over a specified amount of time. Effectiveness, or quality, should be objectively defined for/with the student. Collect data on frequency and graph as you would a challenging behavior.

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1. When students are preparing for their upcoming IEP meeting, have them reflect on their Signature Strengths and generate an introductory presentation about their Signature Strengths and all the ways they have been spotting them over the year. This presentation can be in the form of slides, a one-page overview, a poster with pictures, etc.
2. Ensure that every IEP includes at least one goal that is related to the student’s Signature Strengths.

Examples

1. 1. The student will independently complete written and photographic entries into a gratitude journal on his iPad, using the “Happy App” with 90% accuracy on four out of five opportunities.
   2. The student will deploy her love of learning strength, by learning to use Pinterest to independently select art projects, recipes, or science experiments that she finds curious and interesting with 90% accuracy on three consecutive opportunities. She will be provided with weekly opportunities to express her creativity by completing those projects with teacher support.
   3. The student will use his creativity and leadership strengths to design and learn how to independently guide a series of 15-20 “energy breaks” for his peers. He will be given weekly opportunities to demonstrate his strength by independently leading his peers in high energy / fun breaks, when requested by the teacher.
   4. The student will enhance her hope/optimism, by learning and applying Goal Setting Theory (i.e., what goals are, why they are important, how to set goals, how to track progress and how to modify goals) and then writing three long-term goals (i.e., IEP goals) and chunking them into short-term goals (i.e., weekly goals).

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• Incorporate Strength Spotting into transitions in and out of the classroom (e.g., have students sign in with their name and a signature strength they have used that day or when signing out to use the restroom, have students include a strength they will use to transition independently).
• Encourage teachers and/or paraprofessionals to leave “Strength Spotting Shoutouts” on a student’s desk when they are out of the room. Create a space in the classroom to post the shoutouts.
• If your student has a school/home communication log, include a space for the inclusion of Strength Spotting. Encourage parents/guardians to communicate about strengths they are seeing at home.

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