After seeing that the app How We Feel has a sharing feature, Nick pitched the idea of having students somehow share their feelings with the whole class. For example, we've seen teachers create Google Form check-ins that students fill out after recess. But only the teacher can see how students are feeling.
What if there was a way for all the students to know how all their peers are feeling?
The How We Feel matrix, mounted on a magnetic white board.
Here's how it works.
Each student has an icon with their face or avatar on it. When they enter the classroom in the morning, after recess or coming in from a different class, they are invited to move their magnetic icon to a different part of the matrix.
Immediately, they are communicating to the room how they are showing up. No commitment, low pressure and easy to understand.
Throughout the year, the class begins to add more definitions to the matrix to help them better describe how their feeling.
Slowly adding more words to their vocabulary and becoming more aware of how they and their classmates are feeling.
This was piloted in a Grade 4 class, but can be adapted to different grades by introducing more descriptive words as they are ready to learn them.
One thing to point out is that even though there are similarities to the Zones of Regulation, this system is different. Green doesn't necessarily correspond to a ready-to-learn state on your board. Looking at the Zones of Regulation, some of their green words would actually belong in the yellow section of this board. So there's not necessarily a clear cut ready-to-learn area on the board. I
t's more about knowing your own feelings and being aware of others.