Jul 17, 2026 · 5 min · 3 segments
Today, host John Norlin shares a practical classroom check-in strategy called the Temperature Check. Using three simple questions at the start of class, educators can get a quick read on how students…
Why do so many of us check the weather before we go to work, in many cases to know what to wear? Why wouldn't we apply the same thinking to the work we do in our classrooms and with students? Welcome to the CS Weekly, a quick idea or strategy to help you transform your daily work.
What if you started class by adding three questions? Number one, what is your name? That's required.
Number two, on a scale of one to five, with five being, let's say, awesome, and one being the exact opposite, how are you doing today? Number three is optional, and that is to provide the why.
It's amazing what can come from those three simple questions and giving students an opportunity to check in each week.
What if a good number of your students are checking in low today? Or what if, let's say, Brian, who's normally really high, right, at a five, and checking in today, maybe at a two.
You know, I'll never forget a story from an educator once who was using the temperature check.
Each week, he would provide the opportunity for students to fill out those three simple questions as a part of a normal classroom entry task.
The reason that the student shared is one that the educator says they'll never forget.
The reason put in the temperature check for putting a one was I was five minutes last night from ending my own life.
Now the educator was at the high school level and immediately and intentionally connected with that student when class ended and got them connected with the school counseling team.
The teacher said, I'll never forget a couple months later getting a handwritten note from the student thanking the educator for saving his life.
The question though that has always stayed with me is how many days did I not know that? How many days did I not know information like checking in at a one and what I might've been able to do or even just the power of knowing? It might've helped me better care for my students, better respond to their needs.
And as the classroom educator, how many days did I just go right into the content? Because there's only so much time to get through all that content.
Why do so many of us check the weather before we go to work, in many cases to know what to wear? Why wouldn't we apply the same thinking to the work we do in our classrooms and with students? Welcome to the CS Weekly, a quick idea or strategy to help you transform your daily work.
What if you started class by adding three questions? Number one, what is your name? That's required.
Number two, on a scale of one to five, with five being, let's say, awesome, and one being the exact opposite, how are you doing today? Number three is optional, and that is to provide the why.
It's amazing what can come from those three simple questions and giving students an opportunity to check in each week.
What if a good number of your students are checking in low today? Or what if, let's say, Brian, who's normally really high, right, at a five, and checking in today, maybe at a two.
You know, I'll never forget a story from an educator once who was using the temperature check.
Each week, he would provide the opportunity for students to fill out those three simple questions as a part of a normal classroom entry task.
The reason that the student shared is one that the educator says they'll never forget.
The reason put in the temperature check for putting a one was I was five minutes last night from ending my own life.
Now the educator was at the high school level and immediately and intentionally connected with that student when class ended and got them connected with the school counseling team.
The teacher said, I'll never forget a couple months later getting a handwritten note from the student thanking the educator for saving his life.
The question though that has always stayed with me is how many days did I not know that? How many days did I not know information like checking in at a one and what I might've been able to do or even just the power of knowing? It might've helped me better care for my students, better respond to their needs.
And as the classroom educator, how many days did I just go right into the content? Because there's only so much time to get through all that content.
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