Designed these "Emotion Buddies" for non-verbal check-ins (inspired by my partner's classroom). Would love some teacher feedback!
Hey everyone,
I’ve been working on a little project recently, and I would love to get some honest feedback from fellow educators on whether this is actually practical for a classroom.
My girlfriend is a teacher, and she often talks about how many of her students really struggle to express how they are feeling or put their emotions into words. It got me thinking about a more tactile, low-pressure way for kids to communicate, so I designed these small 3D-printed figures called "Emotion Buddies."
The concept is pretty simple: students can just place one on the corner of their desk to let the teacher know how they’re doing without having to say it out loud or draw attention to themselves. I figured it could be useful for morning routines, or when they are doing independent work and just need a low-key way to signal their mood.
Right now, I’ve made three variations: a frustrated/angry red one, a happy yellow one, and a tired purple one.
Before I go ahead and design any more characters, I wanted to run it by this sub. Do you think something like this would actually help those kids who shut down or struggle to speak up, or do you think they would just turn into toys/distractions?
Also, if you were to use something like this, what other emotional states do you feel are missing the most? I'm already thinking about adding something for "anxious" or "overwhelmed," but I’d love to hear what you actually notice on a daily basis.
For context, what grade level do you teach, and do you think your students would vibe with this?
Would love to hear your thoughts or any tweaks you’d make. Thanks for all your hard work!