How Warm Is Our School?

Jordan Nelson

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Climate Check Blueprint

Students will collaboratively assess and strengthen their classroom climate by identifying how connected and supported they feel and by giving constructive peer feedback.

Understanding and enhancing our classroom climate builds trust, encourages positive interactions, and helps every student feel valued and included.

Audience

5th Grade Class

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Interactive check-in and peer feedback circle

Materials

Warmth Meter Slides, Sticky Notes, Chart Paper, and Markers

Prep

Teacher Prep

10 minutes

Review the Warmth Meter Slides
Prepare chart paper with a large thermometer graphic representing the “Warmth Meter”
Gather sticky notes and markers for students
Arrange classroom seating in small circles for the Friendly Feedback Circles activity

Step 1

Emoji Entry Warm-Up

5 minutes

Display a few example emojis on the board (happy, neutral, sad)
Ask each student to choose an emoji that represents how they feel about our class community today and draw it on a sticky note
Students place their note on the board under the matching emoji

Step 2

Warmth Meter Check-In

10 minutes

Project the Warmth Meter Slides
Review the scale: 1 (very cold) to 5 (very warm) in terms of how supported and connected they feel
Invite students to place a sticky dot on the warmth meter at the level that reflects their feelings
Tally results aloud and note patterns on chart paper

Step 3

Friendly Feedback Circles

20 minutes

Divide students into circles of 4–5
In each circle, students take turns sharing one thing a classmate did recently that made them feel welcomed or supported
Peers respond with one friendly suggestion for how to make our class climate even warmer
Encourage active listening and “I” statements (e.g., “I appreciate when you…”; “I would like if we could…”)

Step 4

Whole-Class Reflection

10 minutes

Reconvene and review the updated warmth meter tally
Ask: “What strengths do we see in our classroom climate?” and “What can we focus on to warm it further?”
Record two action steps on chart paper to guide future community-building activities

Slide Deck

Warmth Meter Scale

1 – Very Cold: I feel disconnected or unsupported.
2 – Cold: I sometimes feel left out or unsure.
3 – Neutral: I feel okay—neither warm nor cold.
4 – Warm: I feel supported and connected most of the time.
5 – Very Warm: I feel fully included, valued, and encouraged.

Introduce the Warmth Meter before students place their dots. Emphasize that there are no right or wrong answers—this is simply a snapshot of how we’re feeling today.

How to Use the Warmth Meter

• Take one sticky dot and come up front.
• Look at the scale from 1 (Very Cold) to 5 (Very Warm).
• Place your dot on the number that matches how you feel about our classroom climate today.

Model placing a sticky dot on the class thermometer. Remind students to choose the number that best matches their feelings right now.

Interpreting Our Results

• Count how many dots are on each number.
• Notice clusters or gaps.
• Ask: “What do these patterns tell us about our classroom climate?”
• Think about one step we can take to warm our community even more.

After tallying, ask students to look for patterns (e.g., many dots in one area, few at extreme ends). Guide them to think about why the thermometer looks the way it does.

Activity

Friendly Feedback Circles Activity Guide

Description: Students work in small circles to share moments that made them feel supported and to offer friendly suggestions for warming our classroom climate further.

Time: 20 minutes
Group Size: Circles of 4–5 students
Materials: Sticky Notes, Pens or Pencils

Roles (rotate each round)

• Facilitator/Timekeeper: Keeps the group on task and monitors time.
• Speaker: Shares one thing a classmate did that made them feel welcomed or supported.
• Listener: Practices active listening and summarizes what the speaker says.
• Recorder (if group of 5): Writes down the shared appreciations and suggestions on a sticky note.

Steps

Form Circles (1 min)
- Arrange students into predetermined circles of 4–5.
- Assign each student a role for Round 1.
Round 1 – Appreciation Sharing (5 min)
- The Speaker describes one recent action by a classmate that made them feel supported or included.
- The Listener paraphrases what they heard.
- The Recorder jots down the appreciation on a sticky note.
- Rotate roles clockwise and repeat until all have shared.
Round 2 – Friendly Suggestions (8 min)
- With new roles assigned, the Speaker offers one friendly suggestion for how the circle can make our classroom even warmer (e.g., “I’d like it if we could…,” “It would help me when you…”).
- The Listener reflects back the suggestion.
- The Recorder notes each suggestion.
Share Out & Collect Notes (4 min)
- Each group’s Recorder places their sticky notes on a class chart labeled “Appreciations” and “Suggestions.”
Quick Reflection (2 min)
- Facilitators prompt their groups: “What did you learn about our class climate? Which idea excites you most?”
- One student volunteer per group shares a highlight with the whole class.

Reflection Questions

• How did it feel to hear affirmations from peers?
• Which suggestion could we implement this week to warm our classroom community?

Warm Up

Emoji Entry Warm-Up

Time: 5 minutes
Materials: Sticky Notes, Markers

Steps:

On the board, draw three large emojis: 😊 (happy), 😐 (neutral), and ☹️ (sad).
Give each student one sticky note and a marker.
Ask students to choose the emoji that best represents how they feel about our class community today.
Students write a single word or draw a quick icon that explains their choice on the sticky note.
Students place their note under the corresponding emoji on the board.
Teacher takes a quick glance at the distribution to gauge overall classroom mood and note any students who may need additional support.