TEACH What Went Well

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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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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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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