Celebrating Achievements

Overview

This is lesson 8 of 10 in Building Resilience Together. Students recognise that resilience develops through small, consistent achievements and share one recent achievement in a supportive group setting. They may communicate through speaking, drawing or writing.

Learning intentions

• WALT recognise small achievements that contribute to resilience.
• WALT explain how an achievement shows persistence, growth or help-seeking.
• WALT listen and respond respectfully when others share.

Success criteria

• I can identify one recent achievement.
• I can explain one way my achievement shows resilience.
• I can share my achievement using speaking, drawing or writing.
• I can listen respectfully and encourage another person.

Curriculum links

• Health and Physical Education: planning and implementing strategies that support personal and others’ wellbeing.
• Auslan: creating and presenting informative or imaginative multimodal texts using appropriate visual features, where students choose to share through signed, visual or written communication.
• Auslan: engaging in modelled exchanges with peers to discuss and organise activities in the school environment.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Welcome and hook. Open with the achievement hook and learning intention and display the question, “Can a small achievement make a big difference?” Teacher explains that resilience is not about never finding things difficult; it includes continuing, trying a new strategy, asking for help and noticing progress. Students silently think of a time they made progress, even if the achievement seemed small.

2. 4–9 min · Model noticing progress. Teacher shares a relatable example, such as, “I found presenting difficult, so I practised, used notes and eventually shared one idea with the class.” Use the resilience example and discussion prompts to identify the action, challenge and outcome. Students help sort the example into three parts: “What was difficult?”, “What did I do?”, and “What changed?”

3. 9–15 min · Personal celebration chart. Distribute the dyslexia-friendly celebration chart. Teacher models completing it with keywords or simple drawings: achievement, effort or strategy, feeling, and next step. Students complete their own chart about a recent school, home, social, sporting or personal achievement. Remind students they can choose a private, low-risk example and do not need to share anything sensitive.

4. 15–23 min · Achievement circle. Revisit the sharing instructions and sentence starters. In a circle of five, each student has up to one minute to share, show or sign their achievement, using their chart as a prompt. After each contribution, one peer gives a specific encouraging response, such as “I noticed you kept trying” or “That strategy helped you.” Students may pass, share only the drawing or ask the teacher to read their written response.

5. 23–27 min · Resilience connections. Teacher asks, “What did we notice about how achievements happen?” Record student ideas on the board under effort, strategies, support and practice. Students identify one connection between a peer’s achievement and resilience, using the frame: “That showed resilience because…”

6. 27–30 min · Exit reflection and preview. Display the reflection and closing prompt. Students complete the final box on the chart: “One small step I will celebrate next is…” They share with a partner or submit the chart privately. Teacher previews the next lesson, explaining that the class will consider how to support resilience in others.

Resources

• the complete Celebrating Achievements slide deck
• the dyslexia-friendly celebration chart
• Whiteboard or interactive display
• Markers or coloured pencils
• Timer
• Optional Auslan model signs or visual communication prompts
• Quiet space or alternative seating arrangement for students who need it

Assessment

• During modelling, check whether students can distinguish an achievement from the challenge, strategy and outcome.
• Observe celebration charts and group sharing for evidence that students can identify an achievement and connect it to effort, strategy, persistence or support.
• Use the final chart reflection as an exit check: students identify a realistic next step and select a communication mode that suits them.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide the sentence frames “I achieved…”, “It was difficult because…”, “I used…”, and “This showed resilience because…”. Offer a choice board of ideas such as completing work, learning a skill, solving a problem, joining in, asking for help or managing a strong feeling.
• Dyslexia-friendly options: Use the clear celebration chart with a sans-serif font, large spacing, short instructions and uncluttered sections. Read prompts aloud, allow keywords or drawings, and do not assess spelling.
• Communication and wellbeing: Permit students to speak, sign, draw, write, point to symbols or share privately with the teacher. Avoid ranking achievements and reinforce that passing is a valid choice.
• Extension: Students create a personal achievement scrapbook page with a title, a drawing or short account of the achievement, the resilience strategy used, who or what helped, and a goal for their next small step. They may add pages across the remaining unit.

Extension

• Create a personal achievement scrapbook page and include a reflection on how the achievement could encourage someone else.
• Develop a short signed, spoken or visual message celebrating a peer’s achievement, using respectful and specific feedback.
• Set a two-week small-step goal and identify one strategy and one source of support.