The Inner Weather Wheel

Step by step

1. 1Print the weather wheel (sun, cloud, rain, storm, rainbow), cut it out, and attach the arrow.
2. 2Introduce it when everyone is calm: explain each weather type using real-life examples, including your own as an adult.
3. 3Each morning (or after school), everyone turns the arrow to THEIR weather.
4. 4Accept feelings without judging: all weather is welcome. Extra words are great, but never required.
5. 5Lead by example: share your own weather simply and honestly.
6. 6Take it further: add nuance (a little, a lot), connect it to a need, or find a "sunny trick" together on stormy days.

What it builds

Saying "I feel stormy" is much easier than "I am angry," and it works: kids get used to tuning in to what is happening inside them. Plus, weather teaches the best lesson of all: emotional storms, just like real ones, always pass.