With students learning in a variety of different spaces (face-to-face, virtually, or a mixture of the two) our students need a lot of help understanding and dealing with their emotions. Here are some tips you can use to check in daily with your students as well as some ways for students to SHOW how they're feeling. Sometimes, students can't find the words to express how they're feeling, but they can illustrate or show pictures that match how they feel.
Between adjusting to different daily routines to changing the learning environment they're used to, I noticed my students were having a hard time processing their feelings and emotions. So, this year we are taking some time to address our emotions.
I set up this bulletin board in my classroom so students can reference it throughout the day. I used Black Fadeless® Paper, Orange Double-Sided Solid & Polka Dot Bulletin Board Borders, and the Feelings Mini Bulletin Board Set to create this simple yet super helpful board. When my students first come into my classroom, they get a sticky note and write their name on the back. They then find the bulletin board cutout that matches how they're feeling at that moment.
What I like about this particular activity is that students are able to post their sticky notes anonymously so other students don't know whose sticky note is whose. If a student is feeling scared or anxious due to something that's going on at home, their peers don't need to know about it. I have also had a student who wasn't feeling one of these 6 emotions, so they put their sticky note on the bottom. This was wonderful because we were given the chance to discuss their emotion later one-on-one.
If you have younger students, they might not be able to verbalize exactly how they're feeling. I give my younger students a Black Top-Loading Dry Erase Pocket, a dry erase marker, and one of these free blank face printables. There are 6 different options for your students to choose from. With a younger age group, it's likely your students will be able to draw a happy face or a sad face. This can be done one-on-one so you can have a discussion with your students.
Another option I use with my students is this Learning Emotions Magnetic Activity Set. If you have students who are having a harder time with expressing their feelings, this is a fun way to reach out to them without overwhelming them. Using this Emotions Activity Set gives students a chance to play around with different emotions, and settle on an emotion that fits their mood.
This year, it's more important than ever to check in with students and their emotions. I hope you can use at least one of these ideas to incorporate emotions into your daily routine.
