Feelings Check-In Worksheet

Name: ____________________________ Date: ________________

1. How Do You Feel Today?

Circle one face that shows how you feel about starting school today:

😊 🙂 😐 😕 ☹️ 😫

Why do you feel this way?

2. Think Back

Think of a time you’ve felt this way at school before. What happened?

3. Plan Your Coping Strategy

Look at our Coping Strategies Cards and pick one strategy you want to use if you feel nervous on the first day. Write the name of your strategy below and then draw or describe how you will use it.

Strategy Name: __________________________

How I will use this strategy:

When and where will you practice this strategy?

First-Day Feelings Discussion

Objective:
Help students recognize and share their feelings about starting the new school year, build empathy, and brainstorm ways to feel more confident and calm.

Time: 7 minutes
Materials: Whiteboard, markers

1. Set the Stage (1 minute)

• Remind students of our class discussion rules:
  1. Listen when others speak.
  2. Use a calm voice.
  3. It’s okay to feel any way—no feeling is wrong.
• Explain: “Today we’ll talk about what we’re excited and nervous about for the first day.”

2. Whole-Group Brainstorm (2 minutes)

• On one side of the board write “Excited About…”; on the other side write “Nervous About…”.
• Invite volunteers:
  • What makes you excited about coming back to school?
  • What makes you feel a little nervous?
• As students share, jot down short phrases under each heading.

3. Pair-Share with Sentence Starters (2 minutes)

• Ask students to turn to a partner.
• Provide sentence starters to help:
  • “I feel ___________ because ___________.”
  • “One thing I’m looking forward to is ___________.”
  • “I’m a bit worried about ___________, but I can ___________ to help.”
• Give pairs 1 minute to talk, then invite one or two pairs to share what they heard from their partner.

4. Problem-Solving & Coping Ideas (1.5 minutes)

• Point to the lists on the board. Ask:
  • “What could we do to feel more excited or less nervous?”
  • “Which of our Coping Strategies Cards might help with these nerves?”
• Encourage students to suggest strategies (e.g., deep breaths, positive self-talk, taking a short walk).
• Write student ideas next to the “Nervous About…” list as reminders.

5. Closing & Validation (0.5 minutes)

• Thank everyone for sharing honestly.
• Remind students: “It’s normal to have mixed feelings. You have tools—like deep breathing and stretching—to help, and you can always ask for help.”
• Transition: “Next, we’ll try out some of these strategies together!”

Coping Strategies Practice

Objective:
Students will learn and practice simple coping techniques from our Coping Strategies Cards, so they feel ready to use them on their first day.

Time: 8 minutes
Materials: Coping Strategies Cards, open floor space or chairs, timer

1. Introduction & Set-Up (1 minute)

• Gather students in a circle or open area.
• Display all the Coping Strategies Cards face up so everyone can see the images and titles.
• Explain: “We’ll try each strategy together, then decide which ones feel best for us.”

2. Strategy Demonstration & Practice (5 minutes)

For each card, follow these steps:

1. Name & Model (30 seconds)
   • Hold up the card (e.g., Deep Breathing).
   • Say the name and briefly explain: “We use deep breathing to slow our heart and feel calmer.”
   • Model the move: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 2, exhale for 4.
2. Class Practice (30 seconds)
   • Count out loud as a group: “Inhale…2…3…4, hold…2, exhale…2…3…4.”
   • Repeat two full cycles.

Rotate through 3–4 strategies, such as:

• Deep Breathing
• Positive Self-Talk (“I can do this!”)
• Gentle Stretching (reach for the sky, touch toes)
• Grounding (press feet into floor, notice surroundings)

Tip: Keep each demo/practice under one minute to maintain energy.

3. Comfort Rating & Reflection (2 minutes)

• Hand each student a small index card or use a quick thumbs-up/thumbs-down:
  1 = “Not for me” • 3 = “I’ll try it” • 5 = “My favorite”
• After trying all strategies, have students rate each one.
• Ask volunteers:
  • “Which strategy did you like best and why?”
  • “When might you use this on your first day of school?”

Transition: “Great job practicing! Now let’s choose the one you’ll include in your personal coping plan.”