✨Tiny Wins, Big Magic: Why the Little Things Matter
Hey there, teacher friend, let’s talk about something that doesn’t always get a shoutout in PD sessions or staff meetings: the tiny wins.
You know the ones.
The baby steps of progress. The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments.
✨ That student who asked for a break instead of melting down, for the first time.
✨ Your whole class quietly transitioning into an English lesson after recess.
✨ You didn’t spill your coffee and the copier wasn’t jammed. Win-win.
Tiny wins. Huge magic.
In a profession where the to-do list never ends and progress can feel painfully slow, these little moments often get overlooked. But here’s the truth: celebrating small wins is one of the most powerful, research-backed ways to stay motivated, connected, and joyful in the work we do.
Let’s dig into why those glitter-sized victories matter and how to start using them to energize your inclusive classroom today.
✨ The Science Behind Small Wins
It’s not fluff, there’s serious brain science here. Neuroscientists have found that when we experience even small achievements, our brains release dopamine that feel-good chemical that boosts motivation and keeps us engaged (Aarts et al., 2010). Basically, our brains are giving us a high-five.
Over time, celebrating progress rewires us to become more positive and persistent. That’s huge for teachers and students alike, because the path to success in education isn’t a sprint it’s a long, glorious glitter parade.
Enter: Dr. Carol Dweck’s work on growth mindset. Her research shows that when learners focus on progress over perfection, they become more confident and resilient (Dweck, 2006). Tiny wins are like building blocks for this mindset. They help students (and educators!) see that even slow growth is still growth. And let’s be real, the world needs more of that.
💛 What UDL Says About Celebrating Progress
The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework is all about engagement, access, and flexible learning. One of its core principles? Helping learners sustain effort and persistence. CAST (2018) tells us that means fostering motivation, celebrating progress, and creating space for reflection.
When we stop to name even one success from the day or track one small step forward we send a powerful message: You're doing better than you think. That kind of encouragement can be transformational, especially for neurodivergent learners who don’t always shine through traditional markers of success.
🌈 Real Talk: What Tiny Wins Look Like in Real Classrooms
Not sure what counts as a “tiny win”? These totally do:
A student with ADHD stays seated five minutes longer than usual
Your visual schedule actually gets followed with minimal prompting
A kiddo tries a new food at snack time
You close your laptop at 5:00 instead of 8:00 (That one's definitely a win for you!)
Classrooms that foster a growth mindset and inclusive learning aren’t built in a day they’re crafted moment by moment, interaction by interaction.
Tiny wins are the proof that what you’re doing matters. Combining UDL with a growth mindset helps your students thrive and helps you feel more confident, calm, and successful in your teaching.
🧠 How to Rewire Little Brains (and Yours!) Today
I’m a BIG believer in low-prep, easy-to-implement practices that actually work. No glitter-covered to-do lists here, we’re keeping it real and simple. Here are five ways to build momentum and celebrate small wins using UDL:
Positive reinforcement for tiny wins (hello, stickers and high-fives!)
Teach neuroplasticity show kids their brains can grow
Set students up for success from the start (and celebrate when they get there!)
Ditch “3 ways to sit” and offer flexible seating
Give feedback during work time so students feel seen in real-time
(Spoiler: We’ll deep-dive into each of these in a future post!)
Here’s to the tiny wins that turn classrooms around and rewire our brains.
To the quiet breakthroughs, the slow-and-steady progress, and the not-so-small moments of “look at us go.”
You’re doing amazing work, and I’m so glad you’re here.
Cue the glitter, always.
💛 Shelby
📚 References
Aarts, H., Custers, R., & Veltkamp, M. (2010). Goal priming and the motivational reactivation of habitual behaviors. Social Cognition, 28(5), 735–756. https://doi.org/10.1521/soco.2010.28.5.735
CAST. (2018). Universal Design for Learning guidelines version 2.2. CAST. http://udlguidelines.cast.org
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.
