Your students have a lot they want to tell you
Topical Storm's Morning Check-In will give them a chance.
Morning Check-In gives K–12 students a simple way to share how they are feeling with their teacher at the beginning of the school day. Students choose an emotion and then a reason from predefined options. Their teacher can review the responses and determine whether a student might benefit from a conversation or another appropriate school response.
The check-in generally takes about a minute and supports teacher–student communication. Numbered response records and restricted access help limit unnecessary disclosure of student information, but authorized school personnel may identify students and no online service can guarantee absolute confidentiality.
Morning Check-In provides teachers with another opportunity to notice classroom concerns, acknowledge student accomplishments, and follow up appropriately. It does not diagnose, clinically screen, continuously monitor, or provide emergency notification regarding student mental-health or safety concerns.
In order to reach more schools, we are offering a limited number of free pilots for the 2026/2027 school year. You can request one on the Contact page.
Topical Storm is going great and many of my students look forward to their check ins! One of my favorite things about the program is how automated it is. I don't really have to spend any time on it other than initially assigning numbers. I love how easy it has made my start of class. It's a great program that's helping me connect with my students.
- High School Biology Teacher in New Bedford MA
last topical storm checkin: (I appreciate these so much and i'll miss them a lot)
- High School Student in Sutton MA
To introduce the program, here are some conversations with 4th grade teacher Kathleen McDonald, co-creator of Morning Check-In:
2:12
She uses the responses to understand students better and provide needed services.
1:56
Students appreciate the program's privacy. They often prefer sharing sensitive information via the check-in instead of speaking it aloud, even one-to-one.
Kathy describes what it's like to have her students do their check-in every day and how it allows every child to be heard in a busy classroom.
1:50
Other school staff, including her principal, find the data to be valuable.
:37
NEXT: Why use Morning Check-In?
