1. Identifying Strengths 8 th Grade: Personal Strengths Minarik, 2010

2. Strengths What is a personal strength? How do we know what our own strengths are? – Is a strength more than what we are good at? – Do we know because our families or teachers have told us what our strengths are? – What else? – Do we know we are strong in other ways?

3. Objectives Today we’re going to spend time identifying our personal strengths. Microsoft, 2011

4. Review What were some of the skills and abilities you identified that you were good at last year? What is your learning style?

5. Identify Your Strengths On each chip/note card you’ve been given, write one personal strength you possess.

6. Things to Think About School subjects Hobbies/Sports Talents/Abilities Relationships/ social abilities Family/Background/Past experiences Your personality Personal qualities/characteristics I am… I can… I have… I…

7. Share In small groups, share your strengths. If you hear someone else share a strength you also possess, add it to your chips/note cards. You likely have many strengths you haven’t even thought of yet. Talking with others may help you think of more!

8. Discuss How do you feel about your stack of chips/ note cards? Was it hard to come up with strengths? Why or why not? How often do people recognize our strengths? Do we focus on our strengths or weaknesses more often? Why? How can you help to keep your strengths in mind even when you are feeling challenged?

9. Strength to Grow Strengths are not static (or unchangeable), but can be developed and changed over time. – Remember the growth mindset! Using a green marker (or a different color marker than you used for your strengths), identify ONE strength you would like to grow and write it on a chip/ note card. – This should be one area that you think you could do better with and would like to work on.

10. Update Postsecondary Plan

11. Reflect Log in to Family Connection Complete the Strengths Reflection survey

12. Assignment Add a SMART goal to your goals in Family Connection that relates to developing the strength you identified as one you’d like to work on.

13. References Microsoft Office Images. (2011). Retrieved from http://office.microsoft.com/en- us/images/http://office.microsoft.com/en- us/images/ Minarik, S. K. (2010). Discover Your Strengths. Retrieved from http://www.positive-living- now.com/whats-right-with-you-how-to- discover-your-personal-strengths/