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Teacher praised for genius chart which helps kids open up about feelings
27 March 2023, 15:41 | Updated: 27 March 2023, 16:24
A teacher has shared the amazing way she keeps up-to-date with her students' mental health.
A teacher has been praised after she shared a picture of the chart she uses to help her students express their feelings better.
Erin Castillo is the creator of the Mental Health Check-In chart, which allows her students to privately update her on their mood and – most importantly – if they need extra support.
The teacher posted a picture of the chart on her Instagram page, explaining that she asks her students to write their names on the back of a post-in note and stick it where they feel they currently sit.
The levels include I'm Great, I'm Okay, I'm Meh, I'm Struggling, I'm Having A Hard Time & Would Mind A Check-In and I'm In A Really Dark Place.
Because the post-it notes have the names on the back, people can privately show that they are struggling and ask for extra help and support.
Captioning the picture of the chart, Erin wrote: "I asked my students to write their names on the back of a post-it note so I could check in with ones in the bottom two sections. I explained the green section as them struggling, but speaking to another adult or trying to work through it themselves."
She went on: "I was able to start some check ins today, and holy cow these kids. I love them. My heart hurts for them. High school is rough sometimes, but I was happy that a few were given a safe space to vent and work through some feelings.
"I also like that students could visually see that they aren’t alone in their struggles. It was a beautiful minimum day focusing on self care and mental health."
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People have been so impressed with the idea that fellow teachers and parents have been asking for her to create a printable version – and she has! You can download it for free here.
One person commented on the post: "Great way to get the best out of the students."
Another added: "This is an awesome way to put mental health into curriculum, while also putting a visual aid out so people understand the problems are real."
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