Kelley the Counselor
Weekly Check In
Week 7- Character Strengths
Hello Renbrook students and families!
Last week in the Upper School, students were fortunate to take part in a presentation by Dr. Janet Schrager for a presentation on positive psychology. They completed a character strengths assessment and discussed it with their advisors. Lucky for us, Dr. Schrager will be giving another presentation for parents, faculty and staff, and alumni on Thursday May 7th.
You may wonder- what is the point of me completing an assessment like this? Why should I care what my strengths are? Well, everyone has character strengths, and it’s important that we not only know what they are, but that we understand how to use them. If you do not already know, positive psychology is the scientific study of what makes life worth living. I’ve alluded to this in some of my previous newsletters, in the sense that we must try a variety of strategies to remain positive during these unprecedented times. Whether it is practicing mindfulness, working to maintain a growth mindset, or investing in relationships- we must work to apply our strengths.
Character strengths, as measured by the VIA Institute on Character, are the positive parts of your personality that impact how you feel, think, and behave. Knowing and applying your highest character strengths are keys to being your best self. While this is certainly relevant for all of us day to day, this is something that we must focus on right now while we are stuck at home. Understanding how to best use your character strengths can help you cope with stress and figure out new ways to strengthen your emotional connections with others.
By attending Dr. Schrager’s presentation on Thursday evening, you will learn a lot more about this topic and how you can benefit from positive psychology right now and she will provide some useful tools for you to apply this information. I also want to provide you some information and activities that will be helpful for all students and their families to complete. First you will need to identify your strengths. I will provide a link to the VIA Institute on Character website in this newsletter where you can take the free assessment. Once you know what your strengths are you can prioritize on improving or enhancing them. Next, comes application of these strengths. Using your greatest strengths, also known as your signature strengths, will benefit you day to day and research shows that doing so is associated with increased happiness.
Everyone has strengths. The question though is, how are you using yours? Explore what I've provided and find out!
If you are completely unfamiliar with Character Strengths, here is some basic information:
The Character Strengths test identifies our strongest and weakest character attributes. These strengths are divided into six Core Virtues and each virtue is divided into related Character Strengths.
The virtues and their related strengths are:
Wisdom & Knowledge, the acquisition and use of information:
Creativity, Curiosity, Love of Learning, Open-Mindedness, Perspective
Courage, the exercise of will to reach goals in the face of internal or external opposition:
Authenticity/Honesty, Bravery, Perseverance, Zest
Humanity, interpersonal strengths that involve tending and befriending:
Kindness, Love, Social Intelligence
Justice, civic strengths that underlie a healthy community life:
Fairness, Leadership, Teamwork
Temperance, protection from excess:
Forgiveness, Modesty/Humility, Prudence, Self-Regulation
Transcendence, forge connections to the larger universe and provide meaning:
Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, Gratitude, Hope, Humor, Spirituality
Character Strength Activities To Try With Family!
Science of Character from the VIA Institute
You at Your Best
Your Child at Their Best
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Contact Me
Email: kreiss@renbrook.org
Website: https://teams.microsoft.com/_#/conversations/?ctx=chat
Location: Renbrook School, Albany Avenue, West Hartford, CT, USA