6 Online Tools for Teaching and Promoting Student Well-Being at All Ages

I was a teacher for 10 years, and I’m a mom of two teenagers. I know that when a student starts forgetting assignments or is more irritable than usual, it’s time to have the talk.

The self-care talk.

Self-care is not something we just know how to do. Even as adults it takes time to establish routines and to see the benefits. We have to learn that sometimes a deep breath and a quick stretch can ease anxiety or a long walk and a shower can get us out of a funk. We also have to learn that sometimes there are issues that run deeper and need external support.

Why is student well-being important?

Why would it not be? Not only are children and teens growing and learning and becoming new people every day, but we’ve also closed them in a room for seven hours a day and told them to learn about physics and the Roman Empire and other things I still barely understand in my 40s.

About 75% of high school and 50% of middle school students reported feeling often or always stressed about schoolwork in the 2021-2022 school year. 

And that’s only for schoolwork. That’s not even including the stress of home and family life, relationships, jobs, bullying, social media, and so much more that children and teens experience daily.

So, let’s teach our students why they need to take care of themselves then show them feasible ways to actually do so. Here are six free, simple online tools you can use in the classroom or your students can use at home to teach and promote student well-being:

Tools You Can Use with Your Students to Teach Well-Being

Smiling Mind

This one app can do so much for you and your students in just 10 minutes a day. If you have a younger class or a class that isn’t so willing or able to download an app, you can download it as an educator and access whole curriculums by grade level complete with lesson guides to help you teach the content. If you have older students who will download the app, they can use it themselves to access meditation walkthroughs, mindful breathing exercises, well-being check-ins, habit reminders, and more.

The Mindfulness Teacher

Sometimes students just need a quick reminder to breathe and check in on their feelings. For younger students, The Mindfulness Teacher has several fantastic, short, animated videos to calmly guide students through breathing and grounding. There are also a couple of peaceful animated read aloud stories for when you and your students need a quiet, relaxing moment.

Mood Meter

Created by two doctors from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, this app is definitely one you can trust to provide you with accurate data on your students’ well-being. You can either have students individually track their moods in the app to promote mindfulness, or you or your school can purchase a volume license so you can track your students’ moods and journey.

Tools Students Can Use At Home for Self-Care

Daylio, or Me: A Kid’s Diary for younger students

For older students who may be a bit shy about journaling but are still in need of an outlet, have them try Daylio. Here, they can track their moods, activities they performed, and other notes every day. This can help them form better habits by seeing which activities might cause certain moods, or they can just reflect on how often they feel which mood.

Younger students who are experiencing journaling for the first time may enjoy playing around with Me: A Kid’s Diary. They’ll be given hundreds of prompts on a variety of topics so they can explore the world around them. They can add their likes and dislikes, family tree, feelings, and more through text, drawings, or however they feel comfortable.

Forest

Are your students struggling with focusing or staying off their phones? With Forest, students can grow trees by staying on track. Eventually, they’ll grow an entire forest (hopefully)! Students can even use the app with friends to grow trees together. And, if students decide to spend virtual coins in the app, they can grow real-life trees.

Headspace for Kids and For Teens

You probably already use Headspace for yourself because you’re a teacher. Enough said. But your students can also benefit from the app no matter how old they are! You can play kid-friendly meditations for your younger students through the app during class or suggest the app to the parents with the Headspace for Kids function. Or, for your teens, recommend they try out the app at home when things feel a little overwhelming. Headspace is free for all teens, and students can even start a club with Bring Change to Mind to receive grants, invitations to events, program materials, and a free annual subscription to Headspace.

Beat the Winter Blues BINGO by Growing Global Citizens

Positive Thinking Affirmations by Pathway 2 Success

Feelings Scales by WholeHearted School Counseling