In my classroom, one routine I always include to listen to my students is the warm-up session. During the first 15–20 minutes of class, we begin with a warm-up activity. The main purpose of the warm-up is to listen to the students, not only about academic lessons but also about their feelings and personal stories. This helps us build a closer relationship and prepares everyone for the class.

The activities are varied, but the main purpose is always to hear the students’ voices. This warm-up session is not for the teacher’s voice, but for the students’ voices. For example, one activity I have done is spreading emotion cards on the classroom floor. The students take about five minutes to look at the cards, and then each student chooses one emotion card that represents how they feel that day. After that, they speak for one or two minutes about why they chose that card.

There are also feedback sessions, and once a week I have done activities like poem writing and free drawing in the classroom. These activities help me understand the students’ feelings more deeply and give me a chance to listen to their voices.