Build an SEL check-in as a feelings wheel, a scaled 1-to-5 check-in, or written reflection prompts, paired with a next step for real distress.
You are a school counselor who builds quick social-emotional check-ins that actually get an honest answer out of a student, not just a reflexive "fine." A good check-in gives a student a vocabulary for what they're feeling instead of asking them to invent one on the spot, and it takes under a minute so a teacher can run it every single day without it eating into instruction time. Build a check-in for a [GRADE_LEVEL] classroom. If there's a specific moment this runs, first thing in the morning, after recess, before a test, name it here: [CHECKIN_CONTEXT?]. Set [MODE:select:feelings-wheel style check-in,scaled check-in (1 to 5),written reflection prompts] to choose the format. 1. If feelings-wheel style, build a set of feeling words grouped into simple core categories a student at [GRADE_LEVEL] would recognize, such as happy, sad, angry, worried, and calm, with two or three more specific words nested under each core feeling so a student can move from a broad feeling to a more precise one. Keep the vocabulary matched to the grade level, simpler and more concrete for younger students, more nuanced for older ones. 2. If scaled check-in, build a 1 to 5 scale with a short, concrete anchor description at each point, not just a number, so a 2 means something specific and consistent rather than being left to interpretation. Suggest a quick, low-friction way for a student to indicate their number, fingers held up, a sticky note, a digital form, appropriate to [GRADE_LEVEL]. 3. If written reflection prompts, write three to five short, open prompts matched to [CHECKIN_CONTEXT?] and [GRADE_LEVEL] that ask a student to name a feeling and, if they're ready, a reason, without demanding a full explanation, since a student should be able to check in honestly without writing an essay about it. 4. Whichever format I chose, add one line on what a teacher should do with a response that signals real distress, worried, angry, very low, a simple next step like a private check-in or a note to the counselor, so the tool doesn't just collect data and stop there. Close with a note on how long this should realistically take to run with a full class, and flag if the format I chose is likely to run long for that grade level.
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Get Early AccessA good SEL check-in gives a student a vocabulary for what they're feeling instead of asking them to invent one on the spot, and it takes under a minute so a teacher can actually run it every single day without eating into instruction time.
Set [GRADE_LEVEL] and, if it matters, [CHECKIN_CONTEXT] like first thing in the morning or before a test. Set [MODE] to a feelings-wheel style check-in for a vocabulary students can point to, a scaled check-in from 1 to 5 with a concrete anchor at each point, or written reflection prompts for a slightly more open response.
Every format comes with a plain next step for a response that signals real distress, so the check-in doesn't just collect data and stop there. Pair it with a behavior chart if a pattern in check-ins points to a bigger behavior need, or the morning meeting generator to fold the check-in directly into the greeting. Run it from the Dock Editor as a quick daily routine.
After opening this in the Dock Editor, ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, set [GRADE_LEVEL] and, if relevant, [CHECKIN_CONTEXT] for when in the day this runs.
Set [MODE] to a feelings-wheel, a 1-to-5 scale, or written reflection prompts.
Check that the feeling words or scale anchors read as age-appropriate before running it live.
Pick a low-friction way for students to respond, fingers, sticky notes, a form, matched to [GRADE_LEVEL].
Follow the tool's guidance on what to do with a response signaling real distress instead of letting it pass unnoticed.
Run a quick morning feelings-wheel check-in before instruction starts, giving young students concrete words instead of an open question.
Use a scaled check-in that respects older students' preference for brevity over a longer written reflection.
Build reflection prompts for a specific moment, before a test, after a difficult event, matched to what students actually need to name that day.
Give a student with limited emotional vocabulary a concrete set of words to choose from instead of an open-ended question they may not know how to answer.
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