You may be teaching during multiple class periods, but that doesn’t mean you can’t develop a sense of community with all the different students you see throughout the day. With this free set of mental health bulletin boards, you can ask daily questions and students can stop by at any time to answer them.
Who knows – maybe they’ll answer it first thing Monday morning, or maybe they’ll see it earlier in the week, think about it for a few days, and then come back to answer it before heading home for the weekend. Either way, it will get them thinking, engaging, and sharing in new ways.
Whether you have a space in the hallway or want to set up this bulletin board somewhere within your classroom, it can let your students know what their peers are thinking and feeling.
How to set it up:
This mental health bulletin board includes a rubric that you can print, cut, and paste as needed. (Though nothing says you can’t make your own clever bulletin board titles if it brings you joy!)
You’ll also have 25 pre-made question cards and question boxes to choose from each week!
Maybe you’ll choose a question that happens to match an upcoming assignment, or maybe you’ll choose a question at random each week just for the sake of surprise. There is nothing wrong with the method! (Don’t forget to have a blank question card so you can ask your own questions.)
Ideas for using a mental health bulletin board:
Are there new students or changing classes each semester? You can help children develop comfort by letting them talk to each other and asking questions like:
- “What book or movie really inspired you?”
- “What are you passionate about?”
- “What’s your favorite way to stay active or exercise?”
Or maybe your classes are well underway and the stress of looming exams is starting to feel a little too real. In this situation, you can encourage students to stop, take a deep breath, think about how to care for themselves, and ask the following questions:
- “What do you like to do to relax outside of school?”
- “Who can you turn to for help if you feel stressed?”
- “What have you done recently that you’re proud of?”
All in all, with this mental health bulletin board, you can not only build a classroom community in a fun and interactive way, but you can also pay attention to how your students are feeling and offer support in your own personal way.
