1. Building Resilience in Children and Young People
Personal Strengths
Teacher Professional
Development

2. What is a Strengths Based Approach?
Personal Strengths
What is a Strengths Based Approach?
Taking a strengths-based approach entails emphasising and building on the strengths, capabilities and resources of staff and students
Research in the field of positive psychology emphasises the value of building:
Social and emotional competency - via explicit teaching of SEL
Positive emotions - by designing policies and programs that encourage a sense of belonging, school pride, and optimism
Positive relationships - between all teachers and students and amongst the student cohort
Engagement through strengths - assisting students and staff to know and use their strengths and
Purpose and Optimism - creating opportunities for students to develop a sense of meaning and purpose through pursuit of civic goals
Alvord & Grados 2005; Clonan et al. 2004; Masten, 2009; Noble & McGrath 2008; Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi 2000; Waters 2011)

3. What is Positive Psychology?
Personal Strengths
What is Positive Psychology?
A recent branch of psychology
Term coined by Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csilszentmihalyi
Interest in wellness and optimal functioning
Research into:
happiness
optimism
strengths, virtues and values
pleasure
states of ‘flow’ or heightened engagement or immersion
(Seligman et al. 2009)

4. Virtues and Character Strengths
Personal Strengths
Virtues and Character Strengths
The field of positive psychology has focused on identifying and classifying the positive psychological traits of human beings, termed ‘character strengths and virtues’
Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi define positive psychology as "the scientific study of positive human functioning and flourishing on multiple levels that include the biological, personal, relational, institutional, cultural, and global dimensions of life"
This field has identified 6 ‘virtues’ which encompass 24 ‘character strengths’
They argue that these virtues are morally and universally valued and encompass our capacities for helping ourselves and others produce positive effects when we express them
(Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi 2000

5. Personal Strengths The Six Virtues
Wisdom and Knowledge – include cognitive strengths that entail the acquisition and use of knowledge
Courage – emotional strengths that involve the exercise of will to accomplish goals in the face of opposition, external or internal
Humanity - interpersonal strengths that involve tending and befriending others
Justice - civic strengths that underlie healthy community life
Temperance – strengths that protect against excess
Transcendence - strengths that forge connections to the larger universe and provide meaning

6. Personal Strengths 24 Character Strengths Creativity Citizenship
The 24 Character Strengths are modified for age-appropriate use in a number of lessons:
Creativity
Curiosity
Open-mindedness
Love of learning
Perspective
Bravery
Persistence
Integrity
Vitality
Love
Kindness
Social intelligence
Citizenship
Fairness
Leadership
Forgiveness
Humility
Prudence
Self-regulation
Appreciation of beauty
Gratitude
Hope
Humour
Spirituality
*Based on Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification written by Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman; Oxford University Press and the American Psychological Association, 2004

7. Survey of Character Strengths
Personal Strengths
Survey of Character Strengths
A useful tool to help students (and teachers) identify their character strengths is Peterson and Seligman’s online VIA (Values in Action) Signature Strengths Questionnaire
The version of this questionnaire for children and young people from 10 to 17 years of age is used across the SEL materials
The Seligman strengths test can be taken online:
Click: Questionnaires
Click: VIA Survey of Character Strengths
Click: Register
Once registered, find and take the VIA Survey of Character Strengths. It will take up to 30 minutes to complete.
*A child/youth version of this survey is used in the Building Resilience lessons

8. Building a Positive Vocabulary
Personal Strengths
Building a Positive Vocabulary
Children and young people need a vocabulary to help them recognise and understand various strengths and positive qualities in themselves and others
The Personal Strengths topic area in the Building Resilience lesson plans provides activities to build this vocabulary and to apply it in ethical and practical reflection about how to manage personal and social challenges
Additional activities throughout the program also refer to the language of personal strengths
The vocabulary provided draws both on the Character Strengths defined by Peterson and Seligman, and on a broader vocabulary of positive adjectives used to describe behavior

9. Personal Strengths Positive Adjectives
Accepting, Independent, Adaptable, Intelligent, Adventurous, Interested, Affectionate, Inventive, Ambitious, Joyful, Amusing, Kind, Analytical, Logical, Appreciative, Loving, Approachable, Loyal, Articulate, Motivated, Attentive, Neat, Aware, Objective, Brave, Open-Minded, Bright, Optimistic, Broadminded, Organised, Calm, Out-Going, Careful, Outspoken, Caring, Patient, Charming, People-oriented, Cheerful, Perceptive, Clever, Playful , Compassionate, Polite, Conscientious, Practical, Cool-Headed, Punctual Courageous, Realistic, Creative, Reasonable, Dedicated, Reliable, Deep, Resourceful, Definite, Respectful, Dependable, Determined, Sensible, Easy-Going, Sensitive, Efficient, Sincere, Encouraging, Sociable, Energetic, Stable, Fair, Strong, Faithful, Supportive

10. Why Focus on Personal Strengths?
Research in the field of positive psychology emphasises the importance of identifying and using individual strengths
Research shows that wellbeing, positive behaviour and achievement are more likely to occur when pupils are aware of their cognitive and character strengths and have opportunities to demonstrate and further develop them at school
Emphasising strengths in schoolwork is far more enjoyable and productive than working on weaknesses, especially for those students whose strengths are not in the traditional academic domain
When individuals engage their strengths they tend to learn more readily, perform at a higher level, are more motivated and confident, and have a stronger sense of confidence and satisfaction
(Noble & McGrath 2008; Seligman 2002; Waters 2011; Linley & Harrington 2006)

11. Personal Strengths
Activities in the Personal Strengths Lessons aim to assist students to:
Foundation
Identify and describe personal strengths
Explain how these strengths contribute to family and school life
Identify ways to care for others, including ways of making and keeping friends
Identify skills and strengths they wish to develop
Describe factors that contribute to positive relationships with people at school, home and in the community
Identify communication skills that enhance relationships
Describe characteristics of cooperative behaviour and identify evidence of these in group activities
Describe the range and influence of personal qualities and strengths
Monitor their progress in consolidating their strengths
Assess the value of working independently
Make realistic assessments of their abilities and achievements and prioritise areas for improvement
Assess the extent to which individual roles and responsibilities enhance group cohesion and the achievement of objectives
Assess their strengths and challenges and devise strategies to achieve future success
Analyse personal characteristics and skill sets that contribute to their personal and social capability
Critically analyse self-discipline strategies and personal goals and consider their application in a variety of contexts
Level 9/10

12. Example learning activities:
Personal Strengths
Example learning activities:
Using a role-play to show strengths in action (Level 1-2)
Students engage in class work to identify various strengths”
They build examples of how someone might show each of these strengths in class, in the playground, and at home
They work in small groups to make a small role play to show what their allocated strength looks like or sounds like in action
After each group shows their role play, the audience should guess the strength!
Students set goals whereby they name the strength that they want to work on building for themselves
This activity is adapted from the Level 1-2 Building Resilience learning materials (Topic 2: Personal strengths, Activity 4). Use the Strengths Cards provided in this activity of the learning materials.
This activity is adapted from the Level 1-2 Building Resilience learning materials (Topic 2: Personal strengths, Activity 4).

13. Example learning activities:
Personal Strengths
Example learning activities:
2. Valuing Strengths ranking (Level 9-10)
Work in groups of four or five
Divide up the 24 strengths cards among the group members
Assign each group a context: school work, sporting life, family life, social life, career, leisure
Players take in in turns to place cards on the table, one strength at a time, explaining how this strength can be useful in this context, arguing for its inclusion at the ‘most-valued’ end of the spectrum
Report back and compare what the different groups found when they reflected on the strengths
This activity is adapted from the Level 9-10 Building Resilience learning materials (Topic 2: Personal strengths, Activity 1 Valuing character strengths). Use the Character Strengths Cards provided in this activity of the learning materials.
This activity is adapted from the Level 9-10 Building Resilience learning materials (Topic 2: Personal strengths, Activity 1 Valuing character strengths).

14. Example learning activities:
Personal Strengths
Example learning activities:
3.Using strengths to reach a goal (VCE/VCAL)
Working in pairs, draw your own fish bone!
Choose a goal e.g. ‘to complete four sets of reports by x date’ . Write this goal in the fish’s head
On the backbone of the fish, write the strengths you will need to use to reach this goal (you can refer to the list)
Brainstorm all the possible steps or actions that will help you to move towards that goal, then write these on the ribs of the fish, one action or step per rib
Add some waves above and below your fish: on these you should write any of the negative forces that you may have to work against to move towards your goal
Think about any additional strengths or strategies might you need to harness to keep up the effort in the face of distractions, or resistance. Add these to the tail.
This activity is adapted from the VCE/VCAL Building Resilience learning materials (Topic 1: Challenge, opportunity and personal strengths, Activity 3) 

15. What are my top character strengths?
Personal Strengths
REFLECT
What are my top character strengths?
How do I use my strengths in the classroom?
How do I use my strengths when working with my colleagues?

16. Personal Strengths Useful Links
The Authentic Happiness website is the homepage of Dr. Martin Seligman, Director of the Positive Psychology Centre at the University of Pennsylvania and provides detailed information about character strengths and the field of positive psychology:
MindEd (UK Department of Health)
Guidance on children and young people’s mental health, wellbeing and development for adults working with children and youth to help them support the development of young healthy minds:

17. Personal Strengths References
Alvord, M. K., & Grados, J. J. (2005). Enhancing resilience in children: A proactive approach. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 36(3),
Clonan, Sheila M., Chafouleas, Sandra M., McDougal, James L., & Riley-Tillman, T. Chris. (2004). Positive psychology goes to school: Are we there yet? Psychology in the Schools, 41(1),
Linley, P.A. & Harrington, S. (2006) Playing to your
strengths. The Psychologist, 19, p. 86–89.
Masten, Ann S. (2009). Ordinary Magic: Lessons from Research on Resilience in Human Development. Education Canada, 49(3),
Noble, T. and McGrath, H. The positive educational practices framework: A tool for facilitating the work of educational psychologists in promoting pupil wellbeing. Educational and child psychology, (2): p
Seligman, M., Authentic Happiness. 2002, New York: Free Press.
Seligman, M., & Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55(1), 5-14.
Seligman, M., Ernst, Randal M., Gillham, Jane, Reivich, Karen, & Linkins, Mark. (2009). Positive education: positive psychology and classroom interventions. Oxford Review of Education, 35(3),
Waters, L., A Review of School-Based Positive Psychology Interventions. Australian educational and developmental psychologist, , (2): p