20 Supportive SEL Check-In Ideas for High School Students

23.3K

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is more important than ever as students navigate ever-changing mental health challenges. Want a simple, effective way to support their well-being and strengthen your classroom relationships? SEL check-ins are your secret weapon. Learn more about SEL check-ins and explore simple ways you can support students throughout the school year.

What is an SEL check-in?

People aren’t born with emotional intelligence: It’s learned over time and with the help of some exceptional teachers and parents. A social-emotional check-in is like a “feeling checkpoint” for your students to explore feelings and hash out challenges bothering them. 

SEL check-ins come in a variety of packages, like a quick chat, written reflection, or even an interactive activity. These small yet powerful moments help create a caring space where every student feels heard and supported, making a big difference in their day-to-day well-being. And emotional intelligence is an important factor in career exploration for high school students as well as other aspects of adult life.  

What is the purpose of SEL check-ins for high school?

You can’t dive headfirst into an SEL session without first understanding why they’re so important. One of the key elements of social-emotional learning is self-awareness, or the ability to understand one’s own emotions and how they affect different areas of life. SEL check-ins help to build this skill by giving students a moment during the busy school day to tune into their emotional state. 

During this time, students can analyze their feelings and explore strategies for handling them. This gives them the ability to face challenges and stay engaged in their learning.

Before You Get Started: Take some time to consider how you might respond to anything that comes up during an SEL check-in activity. For example, if a student tells you they are having a hard time, be prepared to address that with them or connect them with other resources, like a school counselor.

Get a group discussion going with approachable SEL check-in questions

Getting to the bottom of your class’s emotional health can be casual and simple. Ask them a few well-worded questions to get a discussion going about how they are feeling or how their day is going. You might also try these creative and fun prompts for a bit more excitement in small groups.  

• Report your emotions like you report the weather. How would you describe them? 
• If your emotions were a character in your favorite book, who would they be? 
• Write about your recipe for the perfect day. What would you do and avoid? 
• Assign a made-up word to an emotion you just cannot describe but feel. What does it feel like? 
• Think of your emotions as a sporting event. What does it look like? Why? 
• What is something you could tell your future self when things get hard?  
• If you could teleport, where would you go? Would it help you feel better? 
• What is your mood’s movie or TV show title? Why?
• If you could give your past self advice, what would it be? 
• What is something that you are proud of today? 

Use written SEL activities for quick check-ins 

One of the easiest ways to check emotional health is by taking a moment to focus on emotions and write them down. At the start of the school day, the week, or periodically throughout the year, have students fill out an SEL check-in survey. Focus on asking questions that will help you gauge how students are feeling about your class and what they might need from you. 

Students can complete these written SEL check-ins as a bell ringer, as part of their morning work, or even as a check-out activity at the end of the class period. 

• Elevate their feelings with thought bubbles: Give students blank handouts with thought bubbles and have them describe their mood and feelings in a casual form. It takes mood brainstorming to the next level. 
• Roll out an anonymous check-in box: Put a box in the room somewhere that students can randomly check in with you. This helps those who might not feel comfortable speaking up. 
• Activate a daily feeling check-Ii: Have students draw an emoji that explains their feelings and discuss it. 
• Design a two-word feeling activity: Challenge students to describe their feelings or their current mood with only two words. 

Weekly Reflection/Check-in Form (Google Forms)
By ELA with Ms Goicochea
Grades: 5th-12th

This form lets students reflect on the week digitally and alert you to any problems or challenges. It’s a great way to keep up to date, and it’s editable to match your class and teaching style. 

Getting to Know You for Middle & High – All About Me Back to School Activities 
By Pathway 2 Success
Grade: 6th-10th

These editable “all about me” worksheets help you get to know students and check in with them before you have an established routine. You get access to 16 worksheets that cover areas like “Questions, Concerns, & Thoughts for the Teacher.” It’s a great way to get to know a new class.

Daily Feelings Check In Emoji Worksheet-Emotions Check In Mental Health SEL
By Mental Health Center Kids
Grades: K-9

Feelings don’t just happen at school: What happens at home can make its way into the classroom. Help your older students sift through these emotions by giving them a fillable PDF. It’s a quick and easy way to check in with their mental health.

Map out emotions with a feelings wheel SEL check-in

Sometimes, it’s hard to know just what you are feeling. Looking at a feelings wheel can provide a simple guide to visually see your emotions. It’s also helpful in allowing students to articulate how they’re feeling and discover coping strategies. Grab a feelings wheel and give these SEL check-in activities a whirl. 

• Pick an emotion: Have students select an emotion they feel strongly at that moment and create a simple mind map about why they feel that way. What is connected to it? Give them about 10 minutes to create a rough reflection. 
• Color-code your emotions: Have students pick a few emotions they are feeling from the wheel and assign colors to them. In small groups, have them discuss why they feel that emotion is connected to that color. 
• Sort out how you are feeling: Promote emotional awareness by having students pick 2-3 emotions they are feeling. Have them try to connect those emotions with a moment in their lives and discuss it, as well as ways they can be supported through it. 
• Create a feeling wheel reflection: After a hard lesson or specific event, have students identify emotions they are feeling from the wheel and dissect how it connects to the event. 
• Plot trends in your mood: Have students record feelings from the wheel daily or weekly. They should quickly jot down thoughts attached to the mood. Use this information to create a map or chart that could show patterns or trends in their mood to help with coping mechanisms. 

Craft a creative rating system for simple SEL check-ins

Students might struggle with honing in specifically on which emotions they are feeling. The rating scale check-in is a quick and easy way to get a feel for the emotional climate of your class. You can use a predetermined scale or come up with a scale together. For example, a rating of 1 might mean “I’m struggling,” while a 5 might mean “I’m doing great.” 

Have students rate their feelings and jot their number down on a notecard or submit it digitally. You might also want to be a little more creative with these activities. 

• Design a mood meter: Put the numbers 1-5 on a posterboard and label them. Have students put a sticky note or magnet with their name near their mood number. You might also have them incorporate the feelings wheel by adding a word or two for their feelings. You can then discuss the feelings as a group. 
• Color-code your rating scale: Create a chart for rating emotions. Put different color sticky notes near it, with certain moods being assigned different colors. Have students put the color of their mood and level together to give you a fuller image of their feelings.

Encourage self-reflection with journaling SEL check-ins

Help students clear out the emotional clutter by encouraging them to let their feelings flow onto paper instead of hiding in the dark recesses of their brains. Writing can be a powerful tool for reflecting and processing emotions. With SEL journals, students can document their feelings, thoughts, and experiences, giving them a safe space to express themselves. It also couples perfectly with gratitude activities for high school. 

Over time, journaling contributes to their overall social-emotional growth, making it a vital tool for personal development. Try out a few of these journaling prompts and activities to check in with your teens.

• Imagine your feelings are a sea. Write what the scene looks like. 
• Discuss three songs that are on your emotional playlist and why. 
• Name a flower that feels like your emotions. Write about the different structures that make it fit your emotional profile.
• Describe a place in the world that you connect with emotionally at this moment.
• If your emotions today were a dog breed, what would it be and why?

Mindfulness and Growth Mindset Journal Teens
By The Counseling Teacher Brandy
Grades: 8-12

Get everything you need for journaling in one place by using 40 weeks of mindset journaling activities. This set can be used for individual or small group counseling or with the entire class as a bell ringer. 

SEL: Journaling questions in Spanish
By Habla Llama
Grades: 7th-12th

Keep your Spanish-speaking students in mind with 50 writing prompts in this journaling activity. You can print it or just have the slides on the board for students to easily start their day with a mental health check. The Google Slides are also editable. 

2025 Goal Setting and Well-Being Journal for Students – SEL & Mental Health 
By Teachers Resource Force
Grades: 6th-12th

Keep students upbeat and ready to charge ahead by doing a goal-setting well-being journal daily. This resource promotes emotional reflection and academic goal-setting through 70 pages of activities. Students can also enjoy mindful coloring.

Exit Ticket Template Mental Health Daily Journal Middle/ High School SEL Prompts 
By On-the-Go English Teacher
Grades: 6th-12th
Standards: CCSS CCRA.W.4, CCSS CCRA.W.10

This daily journal prompt provides an easy exit ticket for your high schoolers. It’s easy to incorporate into an English class, but it could be used with several subjects. It includes digital Google Docs versions and a printout. Each exit ticket includes three prompts covering gratitude, self-reflection, and “about me” topics.

Rose Thorn Bud Check In FLASH FREEBIE!
By WholeHearted School Counseling
Grades: Any

Use this poster and worksheet to have students answer a simple three-question check-in. It helps students reflect on how their day or week has been going by looking at the positives, challenges, and growth opportunities. Students can write their rose, thorn, and bud in a journal or share them aloud with the class. 

Keep emotions in check with more TPT resources

Make your classroom a place where every student feels seen, heard, and valued. Sprinkle these easy SEL check-ins into your day to build connection and boost well-being. Ready to try it? Pick a couple that fit your style and dive in. For more fun and effective SEL activities, find high school social-emotional learning resources on TPT.