This activity works well at different moments of the school day, especially after a story, a conflict, or a collaborative task. It encourages children to reflect not only on their own point of view but also on others’. For example, after reading a story where a character feels excluded, the teacher might ask:
“What do you think the character felt? Can you think of a moment when you felt like that?”
In a Think phase, each student reflects quietly and individually. During Pair, they share with a partner, often discovering different emotional reactions to the same situation. In the Share phase, children hear the range of experiences and feelings in the class, realising that emotions are varied and valid.
This routine can also be used reactively — after a disagreement on the playground, the teacher can guide students to explore what each person might have felt, creating a bridge between emotional recognition and conflict resolution. Repetition of this method strengthens perspective-taking and emotional vocabulary over time.