Students don't typically get positive praise for every good decision they make. When they take a step back and reflect on their good decisions, it will reinforce them to continue their behaviors. Additionally, having students share with the class will allow others to look at what their peers are doing each day. The goal of this is to support a positive decision making environment.
In this activity, students will make a five cell storyboard all about positive decisions. The first two cells should depict things they have done the day before. The middle cell should show what they will do or have done today. Finally, the last two cells should show what they should decide tomorrow. This will help them paint a positive picture of themselves and mimic goal setting for the future.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard showing some of the positive decisions you made yesterday, made already today, and what you’ll decide to do tomorrow!
Promote peer recognition to help students see and celebrate good choices made by classmates. This builds a supportive classroom culture and reinforces positive behaviors for everyone.
Create a dedicated space where students can write or post notes about a classmate’s positive decision. This makes recognition visible and ongoing, boosting morale.
Demonstrate how to give clear, specific praise by highlighting exactly what positive decision was made and its impact. Students learn to notice and acknowledge details, not just general good behavior.
Host a brief daily or weekly circle where students can verbally share one positive decision they noticed in a peer. This builds confidence in both sharing and receiving recognition.
Guide students in a short discussion about how peer recognition affects the classroom. This helps them connect the value of positive decisions to a happier, more supportive learning environment.
A positive decision-making storyboard activity asks students to illustrate and reflect on good choices they made in the past, present, and plan for the future, helping reinforce positive behaviors and encourage goal setting.
Teachers can encourage students to share their positive choices through storyboards or class discussions, fostering self-reflection and creating a supportive environment where positive actions are recognized.
Students should: 1) List two positive decisions from yesterday, 2) Note one from today, 3) Plan two for tomorrow, and 4) Illustrate each with scenes and characters, creating a five-cell storyboard.
Sharing positive decisions lets students learn from each other, reinforces good behaviors, and builds a classroom culture focused on making thoughtful choices.
Reflecting on positive choices helps students develop self-awareness, reinforces decision-making skills, and supports emotional growth as part of social emotional learning (SEL).