Introducing Student Check-In
Subject now includes an optional Student Check-In feature that lets students share how they're feeling before they dive into their coursework. When a student indicates they're having a tough day, their teacher is notified and a Follow-Up card appears on the Teacher Homepage so no student slips through the cracks.
This feature is aligned with CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) frameworks and is designed to give educators a lightweight signal about student wellbeing without requiring a separate platform.
Student Check-In is off by default. Schools choose to opt in, and administrators configure it to fit their community.
How It Works
For Students
When Check-In is enabled at your school, students will see a prompt asking how they're doing. The check-in runs on a weekly cadence by default (daily is also configurable). Students choose from a set of emotions that your school may customize, but the default set is a CASEL-aligned 5-option selection.
Check-in is always optional. Students can skip it at any time, and they will not be required to respond to continue in the platform.
Student Check-In Window
If student triggers a Teacher notification
For Teachers
When a student's response indicates a difficult emotional state, the teacher receives a notification and a Follow-Up card appears on the Teacher Homepage. From there, teachers can tap the card to message the student privately through the in-platform messaging feature.
Teachers only see check-in signals for students enrolled in their sections. Student data stays scoped to the appropriate educator.
For Administrators
Administrators can configure Check-In at the school level, including:
Turning the feature on or off for the school
Customizing the emotion set students see
Choosing whether to notify administrators when a student has repeated negative signals
How to enable Student Check-In:
From your Educator portal, navigate to Settings
Student Check-In is located under Additional Settings
Admins can configure the Student Check-In to best align for their school. Choose the frequency, Check-In time, and student emotional state choices that will trigger a teacher notification.
Privacy
Student check-in data stays within the school. Teacher visibility is limited to their own enrolled students. There is no district-level rollup or data export of individual student responses in this version of the feature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Check-In required for students?
No. Students can skip the check-in at any time. There is no penalty or barrier to accessing coursework if they choose not to respond.
What counts as a "negative" signal?
Your school administrator configures the threshold. By default, the bottom 2 out of 5 emotions trigger a notification for a single occurrence, and repeat signals also trigger a flag. Administrators can adjust these thresholds.
How often are students prompted?
Weekly by default. Schools can configure it to prompt daily if they prefer.
Can a teacher take action directly from the Follow-Up card?
Yes! Tapping the card opens a private message to that student through Subject's messaging feature, so the follow-up happens right in the platform.
Who can see a student's check-in response?
Only the teachers and administrators at the student's school. Student check-in data does not leave the school or roll up to the district level.
Can schools turn this off?
Yes. The feature is off by default and is entirely opt-in. Schools that choose not to participate simply leave it disabled in their settings.
Need Help?
If you have questions about Student Check-In, contact us through the Live Chat widget or email us at [email protected].