21. The Student Check-In System That Actually Works

Today I’m sharing the weekly check-in system that allows me to know what’s going on with each of my students in an incredibly efficient way. It requires minimal work on the teacher’s part so that you can spend your time supporting your students instead of chasing down information.

This episode’s topics include:

• How to solicit background info on your students so that you can have a sense of where they’re coming from
• My automated check-in system I use to get a pulse on how they’re doing each week

LINKS MENTIONED:

• YouTube Video on Family Letter
• Letter Template

Questions on my “Trusted Adult” form:

1. Student First and Last Name
2. Having a trusted adult at school is very important. A trusted adult is someone who you feel safe with and is easy to talk to. They are also someone who you feel comfortable going to if you need help with something. Please check everyone that you feel is a trusted adult for you at school.
3. List teacher and faculty names including their titles. Be sure it is a CHECKBOX so they can include more than one. Be sure to also include: “No one - I don’t have a trusted adult at school.” 

Weekly Check-In Form:

1. Student First and Last Name
2. Use emojis for pre-readers with captions that say things like: sad, not great, okay, good, fantastic, etc. I wouldn’t choose more than about 6 so there aren’t too many options.
3. How was your week?
4. What is one thing that went well?
5. What is one thing you would like changed?
6. Is there anything going on I need to know?

Today’s classroom story includes some cute form responses from students and then I go on a tangent about walnuts. 

⏰ Want even more time-saving tips? Then check out Mariel’s YouTube Channel: The Time-Crunched Teacher.

🍎 Do you have a classroom story you’d like us to feature in an upcoming episode? Send us an email at [email protected]. We also love hearing from you, so please send us your feedback or requests for future show topics. We read every email and comment, so thank you for taking the time to reach out to us.

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