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SEL Resources and Framework

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Advancing Social and Emotional Learning - CASEL

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CASEL is helping make evidence-based social and emotional learning an integral part of education, preschool through high school.

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Website of SEL Resources

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Greater Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life

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Based at UC Berkeley, Greater Good reports on groundbreaking research into the roots of compassion, happiness, and altruism.

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Welcome to Greater Good in Education—a collection of science‐based practices for integrating social‐emotional learning, mindfulness, and character education into the DNA of classrooms and schools. About Us

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Home Page

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Free and Self-Paced

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The Basics of SEL Mini-Course - CALIFORNIA STATE EDUCATORS - Greater Good Science Center

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For educators who are new to social-emotional learning (SEL) or would like to brush-up on their content knowledge, we are offering this mini-course that covers the basics of SEL.

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Guiding Principles

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If I've said it once, I've said it a million times! Self-care matters. If you are constantly giving your all to everyone else, you are going to eventually burn out. Please take a moment to schedule ways to nurture yourself every week. It will be one of the best things you can do to show up and show out for your students. I've created an infographic with a list of 50 self-care ideas for teachers and specialists to get into the self-care zone. You can print and post this poster in the lounge.

After posting, place these black and white zen pages in their mailboxes so that they can keep a checklist of their progress. If you are really motivated, you can turn it into a school-wide challenge. It's really easy to do and the benefits are enormous for the teachers and the students that they serve. This is the black and white version of 50 self-care ideas for teachers:

To create a challenge, simply give teachers a goal to check off the things they did over a set period of time. They can turn in their sheets to you or in a box in the lounge. Host drawings and a giveaway to promote participation. You can do a free jeans day/week, or give out samples of lotions and coupons from local spas. Just give them a call and see if they would like to donate. They are usually more than happy to partner with you, especially if they are near the school. Check out my post with 20 self-care quotes that you can also use for the challenge with more free downloads.

Grab a self care journal by clicking the image below.

Good luck! Let me know how it goes!

Need something easy to print and boost teacher morale?

You might also want to join my Facebook group called " Anxiety Tips and Tools to Educators " for more ideas to support educators and students with their anxiety in the classroom and beyond.

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If I've said it once, I've said it a million times! Self-care matters. If you are constantly giving your all to everyone else, you are going to eventually burn out. Please take a moment to

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Improving the health and happiness of the world, one educator at a time.

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CASEL SEL 3 Signature Practices Playbook

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CASEL SEL 3 Signature Practices Playbook

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1-2 minutes by topic

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Google Slides

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What Is Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Racial Justice Lessons

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SEL Activities

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Start classroom discussions about brain-expanding topics like growth mindset, empathy, and more.

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Common Sense Education provides educators and students with the resources they need to harness the power of technology for learning and life. Find a free K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum, reviews of popular EdTech apps, and resources for protecting student privacy.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Fall-Hamilton Elementary: Transitioning to Trauma-Informed Practices to Support Learning

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I love teaching middle school, especially 7th grade. The kids are goofy, energetic, and super squirrels (...squirrel!). They're also pre-teens, and trying to fit into the limbo world where they're not quite kids, but not quite teenagers. Many of my kids have faced challenging family situations that preoccupy their thoughts while in school.

Knowing things are sometimes distracting outside of class, whether it is friends, family, or both, I start my class with a warm-up. This is usually a silent individual activity that activates prior knowledge, or asks students to review what they learned last class.

In April 2015, I changed the way I did my warm-ups. And I had major positive results. Immediately.

I implemented the Daily Check-in Form. I still called it a warm-up, but the purpose expanded to ask students about their day.
Before we continue, please fill it out here.
Your warm-up questions are:

1. Who do you teach?

2. What made you interested in this blog post topic?

3. How do you currently start your class periods, meetings, or workshops?

Ok, now that you filled it out, let's continue. (If you didn't fill it out, go back and do so. It's good for you to actually go through the experience, not just open up the link!)

When students arrive for class, they line up in 2 silent, straight, and smiling lines outside. I invite them in, and they walk in silently (we don't do it right, it's back outside to do it over), and begin their warm-up on their iPad. I have a set of Slides for each lesson, and the first Slide is always the warm-up questions.

I reuse the same Form everyday and for all classes. At the end of the week, I hide the previous week's rows on Sheets.

Three check-in questions with running averages.

I know some of you are asking, why are you SO strict on coming in silently? Two reasons: First, it helps my students settle in and make the transition to class time. Second, it helps me setting in and make the transition to teaching. I use that time to take attendance, quickly check in with individual students, and skim their warm-up answers.

From this daily warm-up, I have learned many essential things about my students, from death of family members or arguments with friends, to excitement over weekend plans or their deep love of tacos. These are things my students may have been too shy to tell me, or I likely would not have taken the time to listen to their needs.

Screenshot of the Sheet. I use conditional formatting

to make it easier to skim how students are feeling.

If there's a concern, I'll pull the student aside during class and chat privately about what they shared. If they rank their day as a 1, then I'll make sure I make it over to their desk more frequently, offer a friendly smile, and start a conversation. (I don't take them aside, unless they show additional signs of being upset or stressed in class.)

The day I first implemented this warm-up, I learned that my student's uncle died the week prior. Over the next three weeks, she lost three more people close to her. Because she willingly shared this with me, I was able to support her emotionally in class, and refer her to our counselors for additional support. I am 100% positive this prevented serious behaviors in my class, because she had struggled all year with attitude and off-task behavior.

When I present at conferences and workshops, I often start my session with an identical Form-I ask about participants' prior knowledge on the topic and goals for the session. I feel like this helps me connect to my participants in the limited time we have.

I'm grateful for this simple tool that has helped me build community in my classroom!

Love this idea? Here's the Form template.

Have fun with the Form, make it work for you, and please share!

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

[CC BY-NC-SA]

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I love teaching middle school, especially 7th grade. The kids are goofy, energetic, and super squirrels (...squirrel!). They're also pre-teens, and trying to fit into the limbo world where they're not quite kids, but not quite teenagers. Many of my kids have faced challenging family situations that preoccupy their thoughts while in school.

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Social and Emotional Learning is an important part of overall student mental health. The skills students build as part of an SEL curriculum will enable them to be successful long after their academic career comes to a close. There are five key areas of social-emotional development:

Self-focus on emotions, values, thoughts, and actions

Self-regulate through responsibility for one's own behavior, thoughts, and actions

Recognition and empathy for the feelings and behaviors of others

Effective communication with others, even when you disagree

Ability to make positive choices related to one's own actions and behavior

Whether you're in the physical classroom or in a distance learning environment, the development of SEL skills affect academic success. They also allow students to cultivate the soft skills that employers value in the workplace. Keeping tabs on student social-emotional development can be challenging when you're not able to be together on a daily basis. That's where PBIS Rewards' SEL Check comes in.

Check In on Your Students' Social and Emotional Learning

The PBIS Rewards' SEL Check feature helps staff members to quickly log an SEL check-in and track the social and emotional state of students on the PBIS Rewards Web Portal and the PBIS Rewards Staff App. Data helps staff members work with students to develop self-awareness and work towards greater emotional maturity.

Track the SEL state for all students in your school via:

Customizable SEL settings: category, emoji, color, description, and de-escalation strategies

Drilldown Reporting that provides data on all students and gives an overview of students at highest risk

Student Self Check that gives the students the ability to document and communicate their SEL status

Notifications can be set to alert staff members when a student submits a high risk SEL check-in

The PBIS Rewards' SEL Check feature gives staff members an opportunity to quickly identify risk factors in students. With this feature, educators can determine which students are high-risk and provide access to extra help throughout the day.

Students Can Self-Report Their SEL Status, Too!

Take SEL up a notch with our Student Self SEL Check option, found in the PBIS Rewards Student App! Students can use the App to record their social and emotional states at any time, using the SEL settings customized by your school. Stay on top of student social and emotional states by encouraging them to self-report regularly. Data generated through these self-reports can help you to spot trends and focus on high-risk students as needed. Check-in with students who don't otherwise draw attention for behavior. Help high-risk students work through difficult emotions. Get a more accurate snapshot of what is happening with your students on a social and emotional level. Student Self SEL Check puts the power of communication in the hands of your students!

** The SEL Check add-on is INCLUDED in the standard base cost of PBIS Rewards **

Want to learn more about the SEL Check add-on in PBIS Rewards?
Request Information

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SEL Check - An SEL Check-in Function included in PBIS Rewards

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Social and Emotional Learning is an important part of overall student mental health. The skills students build as part of an SEL curriculum will enable them to be successful long after their academic career comes to a close.

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The last few years have highlighted the importance of relationship-building and checking in with students on a regular basis.

For learning to happen, students need to see their identities valued. They need to feel safe physically and emotionally-and they need to feel a sense of connection to peers and adults. You can do that by creating space for students to tell their stories, learning about their lives outside of school, and creating rituals that cultivate belonging and connectedness.

To help you get to know your students, we've curated this list of 101 asset-based, inclusive questions. Most are open-ended questions, but you can also adapt them into a multiple-choice format.
Free PDF Download: Panorama's Full Check-Ins Question Bank
How to Use These Questions

If you are a district or school administrator focused on improving relationships and belonging campus-wide, we invite you to share this article with your teachers and staff. This is a great resource to include on district or school resource sites, Tier 1 resource hubs, or in staff newsletters.

If you are a teacher, practitioner, or instructional coach, feel free to borrow these questions to get to know your students in the classroom-virtually or in person! These questions are great for small group brain breaks, icebreaker games, morning meetings or morning circles, and advisory periods. Or, use them as conversation starters in a 1:1 setting.

Click on the following links to jump to a section:

Interests and Hobbies

1. What are your favorite hobbies?

2. In your free time, what do you like to do?

3. Have you volunteered in your community?

4. What was the hardest part of the past week for you?

5. What is your favorite book?

6. What is your favorite TV show?

17. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

18. What is your favorite thing to do over the weekends?

19. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

20. What is your most frequently-used or favorite emoji?

21. What are three awesome things about yourself?

22. What is something people don't know about you that you wish they knew?

23. What is a unique talent you have?

24. What do you want to be when you grow up?

25. What is a big world problem that you would like to change?

26. What is your biggest dream or goal in life?

Relational and Social-Emotional Learning

27. What is your social-emotional learning superpower?

28. Which of the following traits do you think best describes you: funny, thoughtful, caring, or outgoing?

29. How do you most like to connect with your friends? Through social media, by talking over the phone or texting, or by meeting up in person?

30. What is one thing your teacher can do to get to know you better?

31. How can your teacher help you if you are feeling down?

32. What is one thing you want to know about your teacher?

33. What do you think is the most important quality for a teacher to have?

34. Who is an adult at school that you know you can count on?

35. Who is a friend at school that you know you can count on?

36. When you are stressed, what do you do to relax?

37. What makes you feel the most appreciated and understood?

38. How would your friends or a relative describe you?

39. What is something that you are thankful for?

Family and Cultural Background

40. Where do your family members work?

41. What does dinner time look like at your house?

42. What are some family items or artifacts that represent your culture and identity?

43. Which languages do you speak (even just a little bit)?

44. Who is someone in your family that you look up to?

45. What is a favorite memory you have with a family member?

46. What do you like most about your family?

47. What is a family tradition that you have?

48. Does your family have pets? If not, would you like to have a pet? What kind?

49. What is your favorite family recipe?

50. Do you have siblings? If not, would you want to have siblings or do you like being an only child?

Academic Strengths and Opportunities

51. What is your favorite subject and why?

52. What is your least favorite subject and why? What is the best way I can support you when we work on that subject?

53. What is one thing you think you do well as a student?

54. What is one thing you would like to do better as a student?

55. What do you like most about school?

56. What do you like least about school?

57. What is something you would really want to learn about at school?

58. Which of the following is your favorite way to learn: by talking with others, by listening, or by reading?

59. What would be your dream field trip?

60. Would you rather do schoolwork as a group or by yourself?

61. What is the best school project or lesson you can remember?

62. What is the best way I can support you outside of class?

63. How would you like to be recognized if you get a good grade on an assignment or project?

The Transition Back to School / First Day of School

64. What is one thing you are looking forward to this school year?

65. What is something you learned over the summer?

66. What is something you would really want to learn about this year?

67. What is one thing you would like your classmates or teacher to know about you this year?

68. What is one thing you want to know about your teacher(s) this year?

69. What was the best part of the past week for you?

70. What was the hardest part of the past week for you?

71. What can teachers or other adults at school do to better support you?

72. How much did you enjoy class today?

73. How included did you feel in class today?

74. What was your favorite part of class today?

Virtual Learning

75. What is the best part of virtual learning?

76. What is the most challenging part of virtual learning?

77. How is your internet connection at home?

78. Where do you do your school work?

79. What is something your teachers could do to improve virtual classroom time?

80. What is your favorite Zoom background?

81. How do you prefer to be communicated when learning online? By email, a messaging app, on a video call, or by phone?

82. When you take breaks from school at home, what do you like to do?

83. What is your favorite way to get in touch with your classmates and friends online?

84. What would help you feel more connected to your classmates and your school?

"Would You Rather" Icebreaker Questions

These questions can also be used between classmates to help students reconnect with one another, discover similarities, and learn new things about one another.

85. Would you rather read a book or watch a movie?

86. Would you rather eat pizza or ice cream?

87. Would you rather do a school project by yourself or with friends?

88. Would you rather play a video game or play outside?

89. Would you rather have a dog or a cat?

90. Would you rather have chocolate or vanilla?

91. Would you rather go to the beach or go camping?

92. Would you rather eat salty or sweet snacks for the rest of your life?

93. Would you rather win the lottery or be famous?

94. Would you rather dance or sing in front of a group of people?

95. Would you rather be the oldest sibling or the youngest sibling?

96. Would you rather give a presentation or write a long paper?

97. Would you rather do your homework or do chores?

98. Would you rather travel back in time or travel to the future?

99. Would you rather live in snow or rain for the rest of your life?

100. Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible as a superpower?

101. Would you rather live without Netflix or live without YouTube?
Download Panorama's Check-Ins Question Bank

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101 Inclusive Get-to-Know-You Questions for Students [+ PDF Download]

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Explore 101 inclusive "get-to-know-you" questions for students. Ask students about their family, interests, hobbies, academic & social-emotional strengths, learning preferences, and more.

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In this Panorama Education Intervention Brief, we explore the two-word check-in: a ritual that educators can use to gauge how students (or colleagues) are feeling in the moment. You can find this strategy the intervention library of Student Success, Panorama's MTSS intervention management platform for school districts.
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Quick Summary

Intervention Name: Two-Word Check-In

Tier(s): 1, 2, 3

Grade Levels: K-12

CASEL Competency Alignment: Self Awareness, Social Awareness

Description: The two-word check-in is a simple yet powerful classroom exercise that enhances emotional awareness, promotes authenticity, and builds community.

Check-in with students using these 90 prompts! [Download as a PDF]

Two-Word Check-In Overview

The two-word check-in is a group-oriented and behavioral intervention. It is often used as an opening or closing ritual to help students (and caring adults) describe how they are feeling. Using the two-word check-in in your school can help to build students' self awareness and social awareness skills while also increasing their sense of belonging and safety in the classroom. research-backed

The two-word check-in gives students an opportunity to reflect on (and label) the emotions that they are experiencing. The goal is to take a pulse on where members of the classroom community are at during the start or the end of a day, class period, or restorative circle. Classroom teachers can implement a two-word check-in in less than 10 to 15 minutes per day and tend to use it with students on a recurring basis.

Adults can also benefit from doing regular feelings check-ins. In many districts, teams of educators will begin meetings with a two-word check-in or an internal weather report. When educators embody the same wellness practices that they hope to teach their students, the outcomes for learners and teachers are amplified.

How to Implement the Two-Word Check-In

1. Invite students to find a comfortable seat, either at their desk, on the floor, or together in a circle (if space allows). Make sure your own body language is relaxed and inviting.

2. Put both hands over your heart and take a few deep breaths. Ask students to do the same. Invite them to keep a soft gaze or close their eyes, whichever feels more comfortable and safe.

3. As you continue to breathe together, ask students to notice how they are feeling. Remind them that all emotions are welcome. Invite them to take a few moments to connect with their feelings and choose two words to describe them.

4. When the students have two words in mind, invite them to softly open their eyes and return their focus to the classroom.

5. Educators can start by sharing their two-word check-in. Students can take turns sharing their two words, or may pass if they are not comfortable.

If you use Panorama: You can select the "Two Word Check-in" strategy when creating an intervention plan for a student. Monitor the student's progress over time by logging notes. Everything will be saved to the student's profile and visible to other educators with access to Panorama.

Example of a student intervention plan in Panorama (mock data pictured)

Tips for Effective Implementation

Differentiate the activity by grade level

For students in grades PreK-1: Consider brainstorming a list of feelings as a class. You can draw and label various facial expressions on the board or on a poster. Encourage students to pick words that they helped brainstorm or to draw a "feeling face" before sharing aloud.
For students in grades 2-5: Since elementary students are starting to build a more sophisticated emotional vocabulary, you can provide them with more complex examples of feelings. For example, you might share a feelings wheel .

For secondary students: Consider spending time on reflection questions after they've shared their two-word check-in. Do they feel safe enough to share their authentic emotions? How do they think the exercise impacts the classroom community?

Try implementing it in a one-on-one setting

While typically used as an opening or closing ritual with a classroom or small group of students, the two-word check-in can also work in a one-on-one conversation with a student. When a caring adult models the practice of labeling their emotions, it can help to increase their relationship and level of connectedness with a student.

If students are participating in hybrid or remote learning, implement well-being check-ins virtually

Students can use the chat on Zoom or Google Hangouts to share two words that describe how they are feeling. Or, they can un-mute themselves to respond to reflection questions or talk about what's going on in their day.

For team meetings or professional development workshops, consider using the two-word check-in as an icebreaker or opening exercise

The act of checking in can help build educator capacity to model self awareness and self-management.

Carve out additional time for students to reflect on the exercise in groups

Prompt students to explore how it felt to label their feelings, what it was like to describe their emotional state in two words (or one word), and how it felt to hear everyone else share their two-word check in. With middle school and high school students, consider reflection questions such as:

What was it like to give yourself permission to be exactly as you are?

How did it feel to acknowledge your feelings?

What was it like to choose two words to describe how you are feeling?

What was it like to hear everyone else share their two words?

How do you think this impacted our classroom community?

Additional Resources

Download our Student Check-ins Question Bank (includes 80 questions!)

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The Two-Word Check-In: A Powerful Practice for Connecting with Students

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The two-word check-in is a simple yet powerful classroom exercise that enhances emotional awareness, promotes authenticity, and builds community.

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“Rose, Bud, Thorn” Activity and Worksheet for School-wide Implementation

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Learn how to implement Rose, Bud, Thorn in your classroom and download Panorama’s free journaling guide.

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When you think of "social-emotional learning books," lists of read-alouds and picture books for students probably come to mind. But SEL skills aren't just for our students--educators can build social and emotional capacity too!

More and more schools are recognizing the importance of adult SEL . We can't pour from an empty cup. In order to create positive spaces for student learning, we need to care for our own social and emotional well-being.

In case your to-be-read pile isn't large enough already, here are 11 highly recommended books to help you deepen your practice, strengthen SEL skills, build community, and get some well-deserved rest.

Build your social-emotional capacity and support your well-being with the Adult SEL Toolkit for 2021-22.

If you..

...want to bring trauma-informed practices to your school or district, try...

" The Trauma Sensitive Classroom " by Patricia A. Jennings

...want to enhance your family engagement strategy, try...

...want to build your resilience, try...

" Dare to Lead " by Brené Brown

A playbook filled with research-backed, actionable strategies, "Dare to Lead" is an inspiration for teachers, administrators, and district leaders alike. Embrace vulnerability, find your courage, and rise. [Tweet this book]

...want advice for handling tough topics, try...

...want to learn about culturally responsive SEL, try...

...want to increase your emotional and self-awareness, try...

...want to learn more about educational equity , try...

...are reflecting on your role as an educator, try...

A short yet powerful story about a retired teacher and former student, "The Ball" is a must-read for any educator who has found themselves wondering about their impact. [Tweet this book]

...want to introduce restorative practices , try...

...want to develop your growth mindset, try...

...are looking for a mindful rest, try...

Want more SEL resources for educators? Download the Adult SEL toolkit for 2021-22.

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11 Books for Educators to Enhance Your Own Social-Emotional Learning

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When you think of "social-emotional learning books," lists of read-alouds and picture books for students probably come to mind. But SEL skills aren't just for our students--educators can build social and emotional capacity too! More and more schools are recognizing the importance of adult SEL . We can't pour from an empty cup.

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Winter 2020

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Because teaching is such an intensive job, educators can greatly benefit from learning about and practicing self-care. Unfortunately, teachers may worry that taking care of themselves can lead to self-absorption and distract them from their students. However, despite the misleading title, self-care isn't at all about selfishness.

In fact, practicing self-care can be in the best interest of everyone in your classroom. Self-care is all about taking care of your health and making sure that you have everything you need to thrive as a teacher. Without taking care of yourself, you won't have the energy to help your students.

Self-care can keep you at the top of your game and ready to handle any challenges that come up during your teaching career. Read on to discover what self-care is, why it's important for educators, and how to bring it into your daily life as well as into your school.

What is Self-Care?

Self-care is an important component of a teacher's mental health, but there are misconceptions about what it is. It's common for educators to dismiss the self-care movement as "selfish" or "superficial." But for teachers, self-care is so much more than breakfast in bed or treating yourself to a spa day. It's about taking care of your health so that you're prepared to be the best teacher you can be for yourself and your students.

The definition of self-care is any action that you use to improve your health and well-being. According to the National Institute of Mental Illness (NAMI), there are six elements to self-care:[2]

Ideally, a healthy self-care strategy should include an activity that addresses each of these factors every day. That way, you can make sure that every element of your overall health and well-being is taken care of. Self-care activities can be small- to large-scale habits, with examples ranging from packing a healthy lunch to waking up early every day to do a mindfulness meditation before work.

Some teachers may make the mistake of confusing self-care with self-indulgence. But unlike self-care, self-indulgent activities don't have lasting benefits. While self-care helps promote long-term health, self-indulgent habits (like marthon watching TV or eating junk food) substitutes solutions to problems with short-term fixes.[4] Although teachers are right that self-indulgence will likely not improve their health, everyone not only deserves self-care but needs it to thrive.

Why Is Self-Care Important for Teachers?

The importance and benefits of self-care extend to every profession, but within some careers it is more stigmatized than in others. People in caregiving positions like teachers, for example, often find it easier to tell others to take care of their health than to do so themselves.[7] Because educators are encouraged to focus so much energy on others and so little on themselves, self-care is necessary for teachers to maintain good mental health.

In particular, self-care can be a great way to prevent or treat teacher stress. Over 40% of teachers report feeling high stress every day during the school year, which ties teaching with nursing as having the highest stress rate of any career.[13] Causes of stress can include lack of resources, class behavioral problems, or pressure relating to standardized test expectations, just to name a few, but they all lead to the same outcomes: weakened physical and emotional health.[1,5]

When left unchecked, teacher stress can lead to burnout and contribute to the high turnover rate in education. But self-care can turn this around and help keep teachers from getting burned out.[4] This means that self-care isn't just a good personal habit, but it's in your students' and colleagues' best interest, too. By eating well, sleeping enough, exercising, and finding other ways to take care of yourself, self-care can help your reach your potential in the classroom, which will in turn help your students succeed, too.[8]

Self-Care Ideas for Teachers

Now that you've learned why self-care can be one of the best stress management strategies for teachers, it's important to find ways to incorporate it into your daily life. Making time for self-care doesn't require you to rearrange your entire schedule. By taking small steps every day and figuring out how to take care of yourself, you can cultivate health and well-being.

Because every person's schedule and specific needs are different, practicing self-care can look different for everyone. A list of self-care activities for teachers could include the following ideas:

Because teaching can be socially overwhelming, make sure to plan at least 10 or 20 minutes a day where you can take a break and decompress by yourself.[3]

Without a sense of compassion for yourself, you can't practice positive self-care. If you struggle with low confidence levels, find ways to work on and improve your self-image.[2]

Bring a self-care "emergency pack" to school with things you enjoy so you can de-stress during your break if needed.[4]

Learning to recognize and process your emotions can lead to healthy self-care habits. Keep a journal and write in it to work through difficult teaching days when you feel overwhelmed.

Social support is an important factor in self-care, so find a way to connect with loved ones at least once a day. This could be having dinner with your family, calling a friend, or relaxing with your significant other.[1]

Once you've brainstormed a few self-care activities that work for you, the next step is making time for them in your schedule. Create a plan to engage yourself in all the elements of self-care every day.[6] If you find yourself lacking a specific element, focus on it and find activities that help you feel fulfilled in that way. If you're feeling low on social self-care, for example, you could make sure to visit a friend at least once or twice a week. Or if you're lacking physical self-care, you could make it a habit to go to the gym every day after work.

Sometimes, stress and burnout can become severe enough that teachers can't overcome it on their own.[1] In this case, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to seek counseling or another form of professional help.[6] Medical professionals can help teachers put together a self-care plan that addresses specific needs, as well as treat burnout or mental illnesses like anxiety or depression.

20 Self-Care Activities for Class

Now that you understand how self-care can help your mental health as a teacher, you may also want to use group self-care activities in class. Student stress is just as prevalent and damaging for children as it can be for educators. Practicing self-care activities can help students learn how to manage and cope with challenging situations.[5]

Here are 20 self-care activities that you can use with your students to teach them the importance of caring for their mental, emotional, and physical health:

1. Personal reflection activities can teach students how to process their emotions. Try journaling or having group discussions about how your students are feeling about a certain topic and what that means to them.[2]

2. Meditation is a mindfulness practice that can help students focus on the present. Try this meditation for kids from Sesame Street as a class.

3. Use these emotion cards to help children recognize their own feelings.

4. Self-care can also involve connecting with people we care about. Make kindness postcards as a class for your students to send to a loved one.

5. Older elementary students can fill out this Self-Care Promise worksheet to brainstorm ways that they can treat themselves with compassion.

6. Use these mental health check-in questions to keep tabs on how your students are doing.

7. Doing get-to-know-you activities as a class can help students bond with their classmates and feel less alone.[9]

8. Make positive self-talk journals together to help your students practice thinking better about themselves.

9. Give this printable list of self-care activities to families as a way to help children and caregivers learn self-care together.

10. For early elementary students, these sensory play ideas can make for self-care activities that also boost cognitive development.

11. Help your students write a self-compassionate letter.

12. Try doing a read-aloud with books that teach students important social-emotional skills, like We're All Wonders by R.J. Palacio or The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds.[10]

13. This Breathe Boards activity can make for a great way to practice de-stressing.

14. Say a few positive affirmations as a class, like "I believe in my goals and dreams."

15. School can sometimes be overwhelming for students, too. Plan quiet time for reading or doing homework into your class schedule so students have time to decompress.

16. Do a little yoga to unwind and practice mindfulness together.

17. Try these mindfulness task cards to give students a variety of self-care options.

18. Play self-care bingo. The person who does the most self-care activities in a row within a set number of days wins!

19. If your students are feeling too restless to meditate, consider taking a mindful walk around the school instead.

20. If you have a student who struggles with anxiety, share this Worry Jar activity with them as a self-care practice.

Sources:

1. Yang, X., Ge, C., Hu, B., Chi, T., and Wang, L. Relationship between quality of life and occupational stress among teachers. Public Health, 123(11), November 2009, pp. 750-755.

2. National Alliance on Mental Illness. Self-Care Inventory. Retrieved from nami.org: https://www.nami.org/getattachment/Extranet/Education,-Training-and-Outreach-Programs/Signature-Classes/NAMI-Homefront/HF-Additional-Resources/HF15AR6SelfCare.pdf.

3. University of Colorado Hospital. Self Care. Retrieved from ucdenver.edu: http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/medicalschool/departments/medicine/Hematology/bloodcancerandbmtprogram/patient/PatientSupport/Documents/Self%20Care.pdf.

4. MindPeace. Self Care Guide. Retrieved from mindpeacecincinnati.org: http://mindpeacecincinnati.com/wp-content/uploads/SelfCareReportR13.pdf.

5. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: High School Teachers. Retrieved from bls.gov: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/high-school-teachers.htm#tab3.

6. Thomas, D.A., and Morris, M.H. Creative Counselor Self-Care. Vistas Online Journal, 2017, pp. 1-11.

7. Coaston, S.C. Self-Care Through Self-Compassion: A Balm for Burnout. The Professional Counselor, 2017, 7(3), pp. 285-297.

8. Wei, M. Self-care for the caregiver. Retrieved from harvard.edu: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/self-care-for-the-caregiver-2018101715003.

9. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Strategies for Helping Pre-School and School-Age Children Develop Self-Help Skills in the Inclusive Child Care Setting. Retrieved from tamu.edu: http://extensiononline.tamu.edu/online_course_material/Course610/file/selfhelpscript.pdf.

10. Technical Assistance and Training System. Helping Your Child Develop Independence: Self-Care Skills. Retrieved from ucf.edu: https://tats.ucf.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2017/11/Adaptive-in-home-number-3-all-skills.pdf.

11. Anver, B., and Molina, M. Self-Care Tools, Strategies and Assessment. National Immigrant Women's Advocacy Project, June 2014, pp. 1-3.

12. McNutt, L., and Watson, M. Self-care: Managing compassion fatigue. InnovAiT, May 2015, 8(6), pp. 364-367.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Teacher Self-Care Matters and How to Practice Self-Care in Your School - Waterford.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Because teaching is such an intensive job, educators can greatly benefit from learning about and practicing self-care. Unfortunately, teachers may worry that taking care of themselves can lead to self-absorption and distract them from their students. However, despite the misleading title, self-care isn't at all about selfishness.

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Instructional Resource

This is an activity for students who want to control everything. Students begin by tracing their hands onto the paper. On the inside of the hand, write, "In my control." On the outside of the hand outline, write, "Out of my control."There is an accompanying video as well.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Instructional Resource This is an activity for students who want to control everything. Students begin by tracing their hands onto the paper. On the inside of the hand, write, "In my control." On the outside of the hand outline, write, "Out of my control."There is an accompanying video as well.

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Instructional Resource

This lesson plan discusses stress and how everyone experiences it. Educators can guide students through an activity in which students decide to reduce the stress level in people's lives by creating a new Internet service called Stress Mail. Students will respond to peer emails about stress by providing helpful suggestions for dealing with the stress.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Instructional Resource This lesson plan discusses stress and how everyone experiences it. Educators can guide students through an activity in which students decide to reduce the stress level in people's lives by creating a new Internet service called Stress Mail. Students will respond to peer emails about stress by providing helpful suggestions for dealing with the stress.

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Virtual Me Moments Hub | Alliance for a Healthier Generation

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Me Moments are practices students (and adults!) can use to address their needs at any moment in school and at home. These practices build self-regulation* - an important social-emotional skill to identify and manage emotions, that helps prepare you to learn and engage with others.

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Increasing Student and Staff Resilience | Alliance for a Healthier Generation

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We are creating safe and supportive schools that foster happier, healthier students and staff through the Kaiser Permanente RISE Initiative

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Because teaching is such an intensive job, educators can greatly benefit from learning about and practicing self-care. Unfortunately, teachers may worry that taking care of themselves can lead to self-absorption and distract them from their students. However, despite the misleading title, self-care isn't at all about selfishness.

In fact, practicing self-care can be in the best interest of everyone in your classroom. Self-care is all about taking care of your health and making sure that you have everything you need to thrive as a teacher. Without taking care of yourself, you won't have the energy to help your students.

Self-care can keep you at the top of your game and ready to handle any challenges that come up during your teaching career. Read on to discover what self-care is, why it's important for educators, and how to bring it into your daily life as well as into your school.

What is Self-Care?

Self-care is an important component of a teacher's mental health, but there are misconceptions about what it is. It's common for educators to dismiss the self-care movement as "selfish" or "superficial." But for teachers, self-care is so much more than breakfast in bed or treating yourself to a spa day. It's about taking care of your health so that you're prepared to be the best teacher you can be for yourself and your students.

The definition of self-care is any action that you use to improve your health and well-being. According to the National Institute of Mental Illness (NAMI), there are six elements to self-care:[2]

Ideally, a healthy self-care strategy should include an activity that addresses each of these factors every day. That way, you can make sure that every element of your overall health and well-being is taken care of. Self-care activities can be small- to large-scale habits, with examples ranging from packing a healthy lunch to waking up early every day to do a mindfulness meditation before work.

Some teachers may make the mistake of confusing self-care with self-indulgence. But unlike self-care, self-indulgent activities don't have lasting benefits. While self-care helps promote long-term health, self-indulgent habits (like marthon watching TV or eating junk food) substitutes solutions to problems with short-term fixes.[4] Although teachers are right that self-indulgence will likely not improve their health, everyone not only deserves self-care but needs it to thrive.

Why Is Self-Care Important for Teachers?

The importance and benefits of self-care extend to every profession, but within some careers it is more stigmatized than in others. People in caregiving positions like teachers, for example, often find it easier to tell others to take care of their health than to do so themselves.[7] Because educators are encouraged to focus so much energy on others and so little on themselves, self-care is necessary for teachers to maintain good mental health.

In particular, self-care can be a great way to prevent or treat teacher stress. Over 40% of teachers report feeling high stress every day during the school year, which ties teaching with nursing as having the highest stress rate of any career.[13] Causes of stress can include lack of resources, class behavioral problems, or pressure relating to standardized test expectations, just to name a few, but they all lead to the same outcomes: weakened physical and emotional health.[1,5]

When left unchecked, teacher stress can lead to burnout and contribute to the high turnover rate in education. But self-care can turn this around and help keep teachers from getting burned out.[4] This means that self-care isn't just a good personal habit, but it's in your students' and colleagues' best interest, too. By eating well, sleeping enough, exercising, and finding other ways to take care of yourself, self-care can help your reach your potential in the classroom, which will in turn help your students succeed, too.[8]

Self-Care Ideas for Teachers

Now that you've learned why self-care can be one of the best stress management strategies for teachers, it's important to find ways to incorporate it into your daily life. Making time for self-care doesn't require you to rearrange your entire schedule. By taking small steps every day and figuring out how to take care of yourself, you can cultivate health and well-being.

Because every person's schedule and specific needs are different, practicing self-care can look different for everyone. A list of self-care activities for teachers could include the following ideas:

Because teaching can be socially overwhelming, make sure to plan at least 10 or 20 minutes a day where you can take a break and decompress by yourself.[3]

Without a sense of compassion for yourself, you can't practice positive self-care. If you struggle with low confidence levels, find ways to work on and improve your self-image.[2]

Bring a self-care "emergency pack" to school with things you enjoy so you can de-stress during your break if needed.[4]

Learning to recognize and process your emotions can lead to healthy self-care habits. Keep a journal and write in it to work through difficult teaching days when you feel overwhelmed.

Social support is an important factor in self-care, so find a way to connect with loved ones at least once a day. This could be having dinner with your family, calling a friend, or relaxing with your significant other.[1]

Once you've brainstormed a few self-care activities that work for you, the next step is making time for them in your schedule. Create a plan to engage yourself in all the elements of self-care every day.[6] If you find yourself lacking a specific element, focus on it and find activities that help you feel fulfilled in that way. If you're feeling low on social self-care, for example, you could make sure to visit a friend at least once or twice a week. Or if you're lacking physical self-care, you could make it a habit to go to the gym every day after work.

Sometimes, stress and burnout can become severe enough that teachers can't overcome it on their own.[1] In this case, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to seek counseling or another form of professional help.[6] Medical professionals can help teachers put together a self-care plan that addresses specific needs, as well as treat burnout or mental illnesses like anxiety or depression.

20 Self-Care Activities for Class

Now that you understand how self-care can help your mental health as a teacher, you may also want to use group self-care activities in class. Student stress is just as prevalent and damaging for children as it can be for educators. Practicing self-care activities can help students learn how to manage and cope with challenging situations.[5]

Here are 20 self-care activities that you can use with your students to teach them the importance of caring for their mental, emotional, and physical health:

1. Personal reflection activities can teach students how to process their emotions. Try journaling or having group discussions about how your students are feeling about a certain topic and what that means to them.[2]

2. Meditation is a mindfulness practice that can help students focus on the present. Try this meditation for kids from Sesame Street as a class.

3. Use these emotion cards to help children recognize their own feelings.

4. Self-care can also involve connecting with people we care about. Make kindness postcards as a class for your students to send to a loved one.

5. Older elementary students can fill out this Self-Care Promise worksheet to brainstorm ways that they can treat themselves with compassion.

6. Use these mental health check-in questions to keep tabs on how your students are doing.

7. Doing get-to-know-you activities as a class can help students bond with their classmates and feel less alone.[9]

8. Make positive self-talk journals together to help your students practice thinking better about themselves.

9. Give this printable list of self-care activities to families as a way to help children and caregivers learn self-care together.

10. For early elementary students, these sensory play ideas can make for self-care activities that also boost cognitive development.

11. Help your students write a self-compassionate letter.

12. Try doing a read-aloud with books that teach students important social-emotional skills, like We're All Wonders by R.J. Palacio or The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds.[10]

13. This Breathe Boards activity can make for a great way to practice de-stressing.

14. Say a few positive affirmations as a class, like "I believe in my goals and dreams."

15. School can sometimes be overwhelming for students, too. Plan quiet time for reading or doing homework into your class schedule so students have time to decompress.

16. Do a little yoga to unwind and practice mindfulness together.

17. Try these mindfulness task cards to give students a variety of self-care options.

18. Play self-care bingo. The person who does the most self-care activities in a row within a set number of days wins!

19. If your students are feeling too restless to meditate, consider taking a mindful walk around the school instead.

20. If you have a student who struggles with anxiety, share this Worry Jar activity with them as a self-care practice.

Sources:

1. Yang, X., Ge, C., Hu, B., Chi, T., and Wang, L. Relationship between quality of life and occupational stress among teachers. Public Health, 123(11), November 2009, pp. 750-755.

2. National Alliance on Mental Illness. Self-Care Inventory. Retrieved from nami.org: https://www.nami.org/getattachment/Extranet/Education,-Training-and-Outreach-Programs/Signature-Classes/NAMI-Homefront/HF-Additional-Resources/HF15AR6SelfCare.pdf.

3. University of Colorado Hospital. Self Care. Retrieved from ucdenver.edu: http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/medicalschool/departments/medicine/Hematology/bloodcancerandbmtprogram/patient/PatientSupport/Documents/Self%20Care.pdf.

4. MindPeace. Self Care Guide. Retrieved from mindpeacecincinnati.org: http://mindpeacecincinnati.com/wp-content/uploads/SelfCareReportR13.pdf.

5. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: High School Teachers. Retrieved from bls.gov: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/high-school-teachers.htm#tab3.

6. Thomas, D.A., and Morris, M.H. Creative Counselor Self-Care. Vistas Online Journal, 2017, pp. 1-11.

7. Coaston, S.C. Self-Care Through Self-Compassion: A Balm for Burnout. The Professional Counselor, 2017, 7(3), pp. 285-297.

8. Wei, M. Self-care for the caregiver. Retrieved from harvard.edu: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/self-care-for-the-caregiver-2018101715003.

9. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Strategies for Helping Pre-School and School-Age Children Develop Self-Help Skills in the Inclusive Child Care Setting. Retrieved from tamu.edu: http://extensiononline.tamu.edu/online_course_material/Course610/file/selfhelpscript.pdf.

10. Technical Assistance and Training System. Helping Your Child Develop Independence: Self-Care Skills. Retrieved from ucf.edu: https://tats.ucf.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2017/11/Adaptive-in-home-number-3-all-skills.pdf.

11. Anver, B., and Molina, M. Self-Care Tools, Strategies and Assessment. National Immigrant Women's Advocacy Project, June 2014, pp. 1-3.

12. McNutt, L., and Watson, M. Self-care: Managing compassion fatigue. InnovAiT, May 2015, 8(6), pp. 364-367.

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Why Teacher Self-Care Matters and How to Practice Self-Care in Your School - Waterford.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Because teaching is such an intensive job, educators can greatly benefit from learning about and practicing self-care. Unfortunately, teachers may worry that taking care of themselves can lead to self-absorption and distract them from their students. However, despite the misleading title, self-care isn't at all about selfishness.

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Teachers have long known that feeling safe and secure in school helps students focus their energy on learning. And the research bears that out: A 2018 study found that when teachers deliberately foster a sense of belonging by greeting each student at the door of the class, they see "significant improvements in academic engaged time and reductions in disruptive behavior."

Edutopia covered that study last year, and we've shared many other ideas from teachers for ensuring that every student in the classroom feels like they belong.

Some of the activities below take less than five minutes. They're divided up among the grades, but many can apply across all of the years from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Elementary School

Shout-Outs: This is a quick way for students to celebrate each other for doing a job well or for attempting something difficult. Shout-outs can be incorporated at any point in a class. First-grade teacher Valerie Gallagher of Providence, Rhode Island, rings a chime when she wants to get the class's attention to ask who has a shout-out.

"It's not just me as the teacher saying, 'You're doing well'-it's a way for them to interact with each other and celebrate positivity," says Gallagher.

Friendly Fridays: Elizabeth Peterson, a fourth-grade teacher in Amesbury, Massachusetts, uses Friendly Fridays as a simple way for students to lift each other and themselves up. Peterson has her students write a friendly, anonymous note to a classmate, practice using positive self-talk, or use storytelling to give a peer a pep talk.

Sharing Acts of Kindness: Fifth-grade teacher Marissa King, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, shares two activities that encourage kindness. In the first, the teacher gives students secret kindness instructions, such as writing an anonymous note to a peer who is struggling in one of their classes.

The second activity revolves around noticing others' acts of kindness: When a student sees a peer tidying up in the classroom, for example, they can post a thank you note on a shared digital "kindness wall." Both activities coach students to be kind to their peers in the hope that they'll begin to practice kindness unprompted.

Middle School

Paper Tweets: To build community in her seventh-grade classroom, Jill Fletcher of Kapolei Middle School in Kapolei, Hawaii, created a bulletin board modeled on Twitter. Students use a template to create a profile, and they enlist at least three followers-a friend, an acquaintance, and someone they don't interact with much.
Courtesy of Jill Fletcher
When the class does this activity-which takes about 45 minutes to set up the first time-Fletcher has them respond to prompts about their current mood or new things happening in their lives, and then their followers respond.

Class Norms: Bobby Shaddox, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at King Middle School in Portland, Maine, has his students develop a set of norms for themselves-adjectives that describe them as a community of learners. Having students come up with their own norms creates "a pathway toward belonging for every single student in that class," says Dr. Pamela Cantor, founder of Turnaround for Children.

"Instead of a top-down list of rules that a teacher gives a class, these are words that we generated together," says Shaddox. "It helps us own the behavior in the classroom."

Group Salutes: A moment shared between two or more students at the beginning or end of an activity, a Group Salute is a teacher-prompted interaction that is a quick, low-prep way to cultivate community. The shared gesture can be physical-like a high five-or social-a teacher could ask students to express gratitude to their group members.

There's some interesting data supporting this idea: Researchers found that NBA teams whose players touch the most early in the season-high fives, fist bumps, etc.-had the best records later for the season.

High School

Morning Meetings: Morning meetings have long been a staple of elementary classrooms, but they can help students in all grades transition into class. Riverside School, a pre-K to 12th-grade school in Ahmedabad, India, uses a version of morning meetings at every grade level as "a pure relationship-building time." Bonding exercises led by teachers or students include physical or social and emotional activities, or discussions of sensitive topics like bullying.

Appreciation, Apology, Aha: As a quick, daily closing activity, students gather in a circle and share an appreciation of one of their peers, an apology, or a light bulb moment. The teacher models the activity by sharing and then asks for volunteers to speak.

"Those types of appreciations and community recognitions can go a long way toward building bonds," explains Aukeem Ballard, an educator with Summit Public Schools in the San Francisco Bay Area.

"A low-stakes thorn might be 'I feel tired.' Yet many students choose to share more personal items, like 'My thorn is that my dog is sick and I'm really worried about her,'" writes Alex Shevrin Venet, a former school leader at a trauma-informed high school.

Snowball Toss: Students anonymously write down one of their stressors on a piece of paper, crumple it up, gather in a circle, and throw their paper balls in a mock snowball fight. When that's done, they pick up a snowball and read it aloud.

"The idea is that we're moving around. We're able to have fun, laugh, scream, be loud, and then have that discussion about stress," says Marcus Moore, an advisory leader at Urban Prep School in Chicago.

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These community-building ideas for the classroom can help teachers ensure that students in every grade feel like they belong.

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New Adult SEL Strategies from Panoramas Playbook (Summer 2022) (1)

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Progress reports and status updates are a thing of the past. If you want to really keep a pulse on your team - and help them feel valued, empowered, and connected - it's all about check-ins.

What are check-ins? Simply put, check-ins are a way to understand how teammates are doing and how work is moving forward in a way that fuels trust, accountability, autonomy, and belonging. In fact, 39% of people say they feel a greater sense of belonging when teammates check in on how they're doing both personally and professionally.

Want stronger connections on your team? Want next-level teamwork? It starts with check-ins - and asking the right check-in questions is the fastest way to get there.

What are the best check-in questions?

General check-in questions

When to use these check-in questions: 1:1 meeting, team meeting, async check-in

1. How are you feeling today?

2. How can your team support you today?

3. What are your top 3 priorities?

4. What could get in the way of you achieving your goals this week?

5. What wins or progress are you celebrating this week?

6. What are you most excited about tackling next week?

7. Are you getting the resources or support that you need?

8. What do you want that support to look like?

Why it's important: Asking for help doesn't always come naturally, so as a leader, it's your job to proactively reach out to see what your team needs and how you can help them get there.

Personal progress check-in questions

When to use these check-in questions: 1:1 meeting, project check-ins, async check-ins, reviews & feedback sessions

1. What challenges are you currently facing?

2. Do you need help addressing those challenges?

3. Are there any tasks you need help with?

4. Do you feel like you've made progress on your projects this week?

5. What do you think helped or hindered your progress?

6. How do you feel about your work-life balance?

7. What's something you'd like to prioritize more in the coming weeks?

8. How do you feel about the timelines you're working towards?

9. When do you feel most effective?

10. How can we create more of an opportunity for you to work in the ways you like?

11. What's a major motivator for you right now?

12. How can we work to build more of that into your daily or weekly mix?

13. Are you receiving enough feedback?

14. How do you prefer to receive feedback?

Why it's important: These check-in questions can help surface issues you might not have been aware of otherwise and step in to help on your team's behalf. It can also help identify growth opportunities or ways to improve your team's process.

Workflow check-in questions

When to use these check-in questions: 1:1 meeting, project check-in, new hire check-in, sprint or project retro

1. Do you have the tools and information you need to do your work?

2. Is anything missing in your workflow? How can we improve this?

3. What feedback can you provide to improve our processes overall?

4. What have you seen work well on others teams you've been a part of?

Why it's important: Gaps in information and inadequate tooling can slow projects down and speed up feelings of frustration and burnout. Checking in with teammates on these topics regularly helps raise flags early on and can bring new solutions to light.

Growth and development check-in questions

When to use these check-in questions: 1:1 meeting, quarterly or annual reviews, personal reflections

1. How can the company help you achieve your career goals?

2. What's a development area you'd like to focus on right now?

3. Are you comfortable with how your role has changed over time?

4. What's your favorite part of your current role? What's your least favorite?

Why it's important: Your team wants to know you're looking out for them - both in their day-to-day work and in their career. Asking big picture career questions can show team members that there's a place for them to grow at the company and help you identify opportunities to challenge them and grow their skill sets.

Meeting check-in questions

When to use these check-in questions: Team meeting, 1:1 meeting

1. What topic from the meeting agenda should we spend the most time on

2. Are there any other topics you'd like to add to today's agenda?

3. What should we discuss in our next meeting?

4. What was most helpful in today's meeting?

5. What would make this meeting more helpful to you?

6. Are there things that are working well that we should keep doing?

Why it's important: Letting folks weigh in on what they want to spend time on and what they don't will help you run a more effective meeting by allowing you to allot time to things people feel passionately about, and move through other topics more quickly.

Remote work check-in questions

When to use these check-in questions: 1:1 meetings, retro meetings, async check-ins

1. Do you feel comfortable and productive at home?

2. What might help make your WFH setup a little more comfortable?

3. Are there ways of operating we could adjust as a team that would make remote work more successful?

4. What's something we could change as a team to make remote work better

5. Are there things that are already working well that we should do more of?

6. What types of team building activities would you like to see more or less of?

Why it's important: Understanding your teammates' remote work situations can foster empathy and help you as a manager provide the tools and support they might need.

Team building check-in questions

When to use these check-in questions: Team meeting, async check-in, 1:1 meeting

1. What helps you de-stress or unwind?

2. What's something you're looking forward to this week?

3. What are you not looking forward to this week?

4. If money wasn't an object, what would you do on your dream vacation?

5. What's a movie you've watched 10 times or more?

Why it's important: You'll learn a little about your colleagues and also be armed with some good intel on how you might brighten their day after a busy product launch or hectic week.

Not all check-in questions are created equal. Let's take a look at some dos and don'ts when writing your check-in questions.

Keep it open-ended: Open-ended questions give space for teammates to share more freely and offer insights you may not have unearthed otherwise. As you write your questions, try to avoid ones that require only a simple yes or no answer - or include a follow-up question (ex: how or why) to dig a level deeper.

Frame questions positively: Check-in questions should help your team feel reflective and empowered - not reprimanded. Instead of asking "Why didn't you finish that product spec?" try something like "What's getting in the way of doing your best work right now?" or "How can I help free up more of your time?"

Get to know each other: Try including a team-building question that's fun, thought-provoking, or simply just out of the realm of work to help folks open up and learn a bit about each other in the process. For example: "What's your dream vacation spot and why?"

Mix it up: Try asking different questions during different days of the week or times of the quarter. For instance, you might ask questions that help people plan and kick off the week on Monday and then more reflective questions on Friday.

Think about your cadence: A good rule of thumb is that folks should be able to share some amount of progress each time around. If folks are repeating the same updates across multiple check-ins, it's probably a sign you could move to a less frequent cadence.

When do you ask check-in questions?

Check-in dos

Your team can benefit from using check-in questions in two different ways: during meetings and asynchronously.

Checking in during meetings

You can easily put check-in questions to work in your existing meetings. Think 1:1s, team meetings, project check-ins, retros, and planning meetings. Facilitating these questions in your meetings can get everyone more engaged and ensure your time together is most valuable.

When your team is fully remote and spread across time zones

When you want to strengthen alignment but don't want to add more meetings to the mix

When you want to foster team bonds without scheduling an all-day offsite or happy hour

Collecting ideas or gaining alignment before a meeting

Before you check in, check yourself

Checking in asynchronously

Who does this check-in question benefit - me or the whole group or an individual?

Is what I'm asking reasonable? Can someone answer it briefly? Or am I creating a major disruption to their workflow?

What value does this question provide? Am I asking for the sake of asking, or will it help the team to know this?

Check-in questions can also happen asynchronously - and many teams choose to do them this way for flexibility. Teammates can answer and folks can read and engage with each other's updates in their own time. Some situations where async check-ins work particularly well are:

Focus only on progress: Sure, check-in questions are great for tracking progress - but they should be about more than that, too. Think of check-ins as an opportunity to better understand your team through open feedback and dialogue. It's about understanding people's well-being, team dynamics, and what is and isn't working to help the whole team thrive.

Micromanage: Checking in with your team is different from checking up on them (this Harvard Business Review article goes deeper on this point). Check-in questions should help your team feel empowered, autonomous, and valued - not micromanaged.

Forgot to respond: Check-ins are about two-way communication - not just an IC reporting up. If you're doing check-in questions asynchronously, make sure you carve out time to respond and engage with them, even if it's just a quick. 🎉 It'll show your team that you're actively paying attention to what they're working towards.

Assume everyone has all the context: Instead, if you're doing asynchronous check-ins, encourage folks to provide extra context within their responses. Linking to things like a project spec, product roadmap, or Jira and Asana tasks makes it easier for anyone who's reading to follow along.

Ask for too much: Questions should provide some guidance, but not prompt teammates to write a novel or share for 5 minutes. Aim for questions that someone could answer in a couple of sentences. Otherwise, we are back to broken standups.

How do you check in with your team?

Check-in questions should serve your entire team, not just the manager or lead. So before posing them, it's helpful to build in some intentionality to your process.

Ask yourself:

Check-in don'ts

Reduce meeting load by keeping every team member informed and connected

Easily share your work plan and what you accomplished

Check-in on a personal level and stay in-the-know - wherever you are.

Integrate tools from across your workflow, including Github, Google Docs, Google calendar, and more

Add tasks from your project management tools

Share updates via Slack or Microsoft Teams

Ready to try it for yourself? You got this. 💪

Easily facilitate balanced discussions that make every meeting worthwhile

Keep everyone included and on track with much less effort.

Build agendas, record actions, and share notes automatically

Create a recurring agenda for all the topics your team discusses every week from metrics to project updates.

Empower discussion by building a collaborative agenda & spinning to select others to speak

Easily document notes from each topic to keep everyone in the loop.

The questions above are a solid starting place. Try asking 2-3 at your next 1:1 or team meeting and build out your process from there. You can tailor your check-in questions based on when you're using them and what your team responds best to. Approach it as an experiment and be open to collecting feedback and iterating as you go.

Range Check-Ins

For teams new to check-ins, or looking to level up your game, Range makes it easy - with check-in prompts and daily reminders to make it an easy-to-follow habit.

Meetings in Range

For meetings, Range automatically pulls in check-in questions at the beginning and end of your time together. It's a lightweight way to boost engagement and help the whole team feel more connected.

⭐️ Build camaraderie and connect with everyone on your team with async check-ins & meeting check-in rounds before the meeting starts.

Why are check-in questions important?

What are the benefits of check-in questions before a meeting?

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The Best 47 Check-In Questions for Your Team Meetings

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Check-in questions for standups and meetings are powerful. Build stronger connections and improve teamwork with these top check-in questions.