Mood Meter
What is it?
A chart for tracking participant mood.
Where is it found?
Usually posted on a wall, but sometimes there are smaller boards for individual students.
How do I use it?
If students use the mood meter during the school day to track their mood, you can use it as a diagnostic tool when you enter to see where the group is at. Is everyone tired? If so, maybe you need to alter your warm-up to include something that will wake everyone up. Is there a student who is sad? Take a moment to check in with the student or their Classroom Professionals.
In the arts, we often talk about emotions; use the mood meter as a tool for this exploration. It can help create empathy for our ensemble members as well as the characters we might play.
Videos from Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence on ways to utilize a mood meter in early childhood education:
