Simple Ways to Make the Most of a Check-In

Excitement about a new dog. Gushing about an excellent episode of TV last night. Jitters about a test later today. Sleepiness—so much sleepiness.

When students have the chance to share what’s on their minds, everyone benefits. For me as a teacher, student sharing helps me understand what they need from me, and in turn, students feel greater emotional safety when they know they can be seen and heard as people, not just pupils. These powerful results can be accomplished with a humble structure: the check-in.

Why Incorporate a Check-In

Check-ins are simple activities, usually done at the start of class, that invite students to reflect on their emotional state and let you (or the class) know how they’re doing. Check-ins serve a number of important purposes, such as the following:

• Fostering self-awareness: By slowing down to notice and name their emotions, students develop a sense of self-knowledge and pair it with emotional vocabulary.
• Providing instant data for your planning: Check-ins give you as the teacher a snapshot of how your students are showing up to class that day, which then allows you to meet them where they are. If the check-in reveals that the majority of your class is feeling sad and exhausted today and you have a super-high-energy activity planned, you’ll be able to responsively adjust your plans or support students to get in the right headspace for your lesson.
• Building community and collective care: Check-ins reinforce the idea that every student is a valuable person and that we as teachers are interested in them as full human beings. With communal check-ins, we can also support students in developing awareness of each other’s emotions and how to show up with support for their classmates.

Getting Started with Check-Ins

For newer teachers, it can be challenging to find a check-in structure that works for you. The following check-in routines are simple, are sustainable, and, more important, help you build and maintain relationships with your students.

• Roses and thorns: Students share a highlight and a challenge from their day. You can also call this “Highs and lows” or create another name if you don’t like the rose imagery.
• Sticky note check-in: Students put a sticky note on the whiteboard or a poster that has different categories (such as “I’m doing great today” or “I’m struggling”), with the option to write more on the back of the note for the teacher’s eyes only.
• Mood board: Students identify “Which one are you today?” on a grid of images (a recent favorite: the baby hippo Moo Deng smiling, sleeping, chomping, or running; there are lots of these types of mood boards online that you can find through Google Images). For a very quick check-in, students can simply share which number they most relate to today. For a longer one, each person can share a brief reason behind their choice.
• Written check-ins: Students can use a journal or notebook to write their check-ins and receive teacher comments back. Simple check-in prompts allow students to share interests and privately connect with the teacher without worry about peer responses.

Making Sure That Check-Ins Work for You and Your Students

Whichever check-in structure you choose, it’s important to implement it with care and intention. Check-ins can actually backfire or add stress if we aren’t thoughtful about factors like timing, responsiveness, and expectations. To make sure that check-ins work for you and your students, you’ll want to consider the following points.

Consider your timing: Check-ins don’t have to take much time, but longer check-ins can be powerful when they allow students to share more about how they’re doing. Determine how much time you realistically have, and use a check-in appropriately: It could be as quick as projecting a mood board while students are walking into the room. But if you facilitate an advisory group or have room to do a longer weekly class meeting, you might mix in longer check-ins once in a while. 

Consider your structure: Choose a check-in structure that feels authentic for you. Do you find “rose and thorn” too corny? Don’t use it! Pick a check-in that feels true to who you are and how you like to engage with students. The goal is for students to experience the authentic interest of their teachers and know that someone is checking on how they are doing. 

Consider expectations and boundaries: Even though check-ins invite students to authentically share about their lives, we still need clear expectations just as we do with every other school activity. Teach students how to participate in the check-in. If you’re using a more open-ended check-in like roses and thorns, give examples of the types of things that students might share, and talk to them about what might not be appropriate to share with classmates. You should also be transparent about when you may share information from a student’s check-in (especially for written “for the teacher’s eyes only” check-ins). For example, let your students know that if you are worried about their safety, you might discuss their check-in with a school counselor or administrator.  

Consider your follow-up plan: When we open the door for students to share, we need to be prepared to hear, honor, and respond to that sharing. Before you begin a check-in routine, ask yourself: What are some ways I can help students feel seen and heard if they share something very positive? What about if they share something they are worried or stressed about? Remember to use your own support: Hearing more about students’ lives can increase your secondary stress.  

Consider how students can connect: When doing a communal check-in, you can teach students how to support one another and be responsive to what is shared. For example, with a mood board check-in, you could take a moment for a mini–social and emotional learning discussion: “What are some good strategies that a person could use if they’re feeling like the angry hippo today?” “When you’ve felt like the super happy square on this board, how have you kept that energy going all day?” You can then extend this to ways students can support their peers as well: “If your classmate shared something hard during roses and thorns today, what would be a good way to support them?” These conversations help students solidify skills in self-awareness and social awareness. 

As you integrate check-ins into your class routine, use an experimentation mindset. Try different structures, tweak the details so they feel right for you and your students, and observe what works and what doesn’t. Once you find what works, enjoy the richness that check-ins add to your classroom community.