Are "Vibe Checks" the Secret to Stronger Student Well-Being?

Key Takeaways

• 82% of teachers have vibe checks in the classroom weekly or daily. Half of K-5 teachers do them daily, while 53% in grades 6-8 favor weekly check-ins.
• While 33% of teachers prefer informal chats for vibe checks, 61% say a mix of informal and structured conversations works best to help students open up.
• Students are 3x more likely to share emotional concerns during vibe checks than at other times.
• 29% of teachers feel pressured to do emotional check-ins without enough time, support, or pay.
• 63% of parents think vibe checks should be required as part of school routines. 79% feel schools don't do enough or could do more for student mental health, and 85% support mandatory emotional literacy training for teachers.

How Teachers Use "Vibe Checks" To Connect With Students

Teachers across grade levels are using daily or weekly vibe checks to support student mental wellness and build stronger classroom communities.

A majority of surveyed teachers (82%) said they conduct vibe checks at least weekly. K-5 educators were the most likely to check in with students daily (50%), while those in grades 6-8 were the most likely to do so weekly (53%). Half of all teachers said check-in times depend on the day, but over a third (36%) reported consistently starting the school day with a vibe check.

One-on-one chats (58%) and verbal group discussions (49%) were the most popular check-in methods, followed by quick self-rating tools (40%). Younger students in K-5 were more likely to engage with visual tools like emoji boards (30%) or mood meters (27%), while older students most often used journaling (40%) to reflect on their emotions.

Although 1 in 3 teachers believed informal conversations helped students open up more during vibe checks, 61% felt a combination of informal and structured dialogue was the most effective approach.

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Since implementing vibe checks, 67% of teachers reported stronger teacher-student connections, and about half noticed students becoming more comfortable with asking them for help. Many also saw improved relationships between students (40%).

Vibe checks have most often helped teachers identify early signs of anxiety (68%), family stress (54%), and social isolation (44%). Students were three times more likely to share emotional concerns during vibe checks than at other times of the day, giving teachers important insight into how their students were really feeling.

As a result, many educators felt better prepared to support those emotions. More than 2 in 5 (44%) felt significantly more equipped to meet students' needs after implementing vibe checks, while another 50% felt somewhat more prepared. Nearly half of teachers (45%) also reported a noticeable improvement in their awareness of how students were doing emotionally.

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Unfortunately, many teachers also faced challenges in supporting students' needs. Nearly half (49%) said they hadn't received formal training on emotional wellness in the classroom. Larger class sizes were a major issue for 74% of teachers who felt it impacted their ability to have effective vibe checks.

Another 29% said they felt pressure to conduct check-ins without enough time, resources, or pay, while a smaller group (18%) noted that some students used the check-ins to avoid schoolwork.

What Parents Think About Emotional Check-Ins at School

Parents are noticing vibe checks, too, and most are on board with making them part of daily school routines.

Among surveyed parents, 39% said their child had mentioned teachers using vibe checks. Nearly half (48%) reported that their child found them helpful, though 45% admitted their child didn't say much about it.

And while 41% believed the check-ins made their child feel more seen, heard, and supported at school, 45% thought it somewhat does that. Interestingly, 46% of parents saw benefits at home, noticing improved behavior in children whose classrooms regularly used emotional check-ins.

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While feedback on vibe checks varied, many parents support expanding these practices. About one-third (32%) believed their schools haven't been doing enough to support student mental health, while 47% said current efforts were only somewhat adequate.

Most parents (85%) agreed on supporting mandatory teacher training in emotional literacy and mental health awareness, and 63% believed vibe checks should be a required part of the school day. They also showed a clear preference for human interaction in emotional support, as they were nearly twice as likely to prefer verbal vibe checks between teachers and students compared to digital tools.

Creating Space for Student Emotions

As classrooms become more emotionally aware, vibe checks are emerging as a simple but powerful way to support student well-being. While most teachers and parents see the value of emotional check-ins, time constraints, classroom sizes, and a lack of training or resources still present challenges. With stronger support from schools, vibe checks could play an even bigger role in helping students feel connected, confident, and ready to learn.

Methodology

For this study, we surveyed 274 teachers and 734 parents on their perceptions of vibe checks (i.e., emotional check-ins in the classroom). Among the teachers, 46% taught K-5, 20% taught grades 6-8, and 31% taught grades 9-12, while 3% reported teaching another grade, such as preschool.

About Prodigy Education

Prodigy Education is a global leader in game-based learning. Our mission is to help every student in the world love learning, motivating millions worldwide via fun, secure, and accessible curriculum-aligned gameplay experiences. At Prodigy Education, we believe maximizing student motivation helps develop a lifetime love of learning. Prodigy's approach to fun, game-based learning means kids no longer have to choose between homework and playtime. Visit www.prodigygame.com to learn more.

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