The 3rd Grade Puzzle Project at Hirayama Elementary

This article was written by Ashley Hutchason, Vice Principal at Hirayama Elementary in the Clovis Unified School District in California. Ashley has been in the district for 11 years, starting as a special education teacher who used a modified version of The Positivity Project with her students. She now supports teachers across the building with what they need to run P2 in their own classrooms.

Our teachers are building The Positivity Project (P2) into their daily classroom routines to develop strong character and relationships among students. Each week, teachers introduce and discuss the designated character strength, using the official P2 lessons and activities as a foundation.

Beyond the provided materials, teachers branch out to create connections to their current curriculum, classroom experiences, and real-life situations. They work P2 into morning meetings, class discussions, read-alouds, writing prompts, and reflection activities. Many teachers also take advantage of teachable moments throughout the day to reinforce character strengths.

Looking for the Teachable Moments

Our teachers look for small, real moments that connect to the character strengths they have been teaching. Rather than forcing a lesson, they pause when something happens. A student shows patience during group work. Someone admits a mistake. A peer offers encouragement. The teacher names the strength out loud. That quick acknowledgment helps students see that character is happening all around them.

Teachers also use challenges and missteps the same way. When frustration arises, or a conflict occurs, they guide students to reflect by asking questions such as:

What strength could help us here?

or

How could someone show kindness or leadership in this situation?

That changes the focus from correction to growth.

Students Reinforcing Character Strengths

One moment stood out to one of my teachers during a challenging classroom project. A student was feeling frustrated and beginning to shut down. Before she could step in, a peer leaned over and said:

This is why we learn about perseverance so that we can push through challenges like this. You got this!

In that moment, she saw perseverance come to life. Her class had discussed how perseverance helps people contribute to the world by not giving up when things get hard, and here was a student applying that understanding to a real academic struggle.

She was proud. It affirmed that our character work strengthens academics rather than sitting alongside them. Hearing a student use the language of perseverance to encourage a peer showed her that these strengths are becoming part of her classroom culture.

The 3rd Grade Puzzle Project

One example of P2 extending beyond a single classroom is a grade-level project underway. Our 3rd grade puzzle project was designed to help students see how individual character strengths work together to build a strong community.

Students were randomly assigned a P2 character strength, which created an immediate sense of curiosity and ownership. Because they did not choose the strength, they had to reflect on what they had learned and think critically about how that strength affects the world.

Each student crafted a single sentence using the frame:

________ helps the world by ________

Some chose to rephrase it while still clearly explaining the strength’s effect though. On their puzzle piece, they included the strength’s name, their statement, and a visual representation to symbolize it. When we assembled the display, the reaction was unforgettable. Students gasped when they saw the full puzzle come together. They were excited to spot their own piece and read their classmates’ contributions.

What stood out most was when a student made the connection that the puzzle pieces represented how we are all made up of many different strengths, and that it takes all of them to create something whole. That moment captured the project’s purpose. Students saw themselves as part of something bigger, and the display became a visual reminder that every strength matters and that each student contributes something valuable to our classroom and the world.

What Has Changed in Our Classrooms

Consistently building P2 into our daily routines has changed our classroom culture. The most significant shift has been in the way students speak to and support one another. They now have a shared language around character strengths, which lets them name and recognize positive strengths in themselves and their peers.

Our classrooms feel more collaborative and supportive. Students are more willing to take academic risks because they know mistakes are part of growth, and their peers are more likely to respond with encouragement than criticism.

A Common Language Across Grade Levels

Building P2 into everyday instruction has strengthened our school culture by giving students a common language across classrooms and grade levels. They hear the same strengths reinforced in multiple spaces, which deepens understanding and application. It creates alignment. Students know what is valued, and they see adults modeling it as well.

Most importantly, building P2 into daily instruction has shifted the focus from compliance to community. Students feel recognized for the strengths they bring to our environment alongside their academic success. That shared emphasis on character has fostered a more supportive, respectful, and unified school culture in which students are encouraged to grow as learners and as people.