TEACH What Went Well

Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) are more than just behavior supports – they’re pathways to learning and success. By prioritizing wellbeing and happiness in BIPs, you can help create structure and consistency while also making space for joy, connection and resilience. With the right supports in place, students can feel empowered, successful and experience more happiness at school.

1. As a proactive emotional regulation strategy, start each day by having the student capture 3 to 5 things that went well the day before. Ask them follow-up questions to help them reflect on the good things, evaluate why it was good, who was involved, and how they might get more of the good today.
2. For students struggling with social skills and friendships, have them keep a “what went well” journal about their peers. Once per week, have them reflect on the good they see in their peers, when someone was kind or helpful to them, or when they felt included.
3. As a proactive/de-escalation strategy, have the student take 3-5 pictures each week of highlight moments, successes, or things that went well. Then, have them upload the photos into a What Went Well photo album on their phone or iPad. When the student needs calming or de-escalation strategies, give them time to look through their “What Went Well” photos and pick out a favorite memory or two to talk about.

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Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) ensure every student has access to the supports they need to thrive. When happiness and wellbeing is included and prioritized in IEPs, students are more likely to flourish in learning and in life. By shifting from a deficit-based approach to one of strengths and potential, IEPs can open doors to learning, connection and joy – at school and beyond.

1. Student will learn to identify items/people/places/memories that they’re grateful for versus not grateful for when provided with images or words.
2. Student will learn to generate a list of 3 good things from their day when prompted to answer the question, “What Went Well?”
3. Student will learn to take pictures/videos of positive moments they’re grateful for as they’re happening.
4. Student will learn to share entries in their What Went Well journal during morning meeting, pair share experiences, or when a teacher/parent asks What Went Well the previous day.

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Bringing wellbeing to the forefront doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your classroom routine. By integrating happiness skills into what you’re already teaching, you can help students learn and practice happiness in simple, meaningful ways. From morning meetings and check-ins to reading, writing, and relationship-building, there are countless ways to make wellbeing part of everyday learning.

1. Teachers sending a communications log home to parents can include a section titled “What Went Well” and a few things you or their child are grateful for each day or each week.
2. For students working on sorting, teachers can collect images of things they enjoy and those they don’t. Try a gratitude sorting activity in which students indicate “Grateful” or “Not Grateful” for a specific person, item, or place.
3. Place a focus on What Went Well if your students are working on retaining information, conversation skills, or reporting on events. Create opportunities for students to recall, discuss, and report on things that went well each day.

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