I interview a lot in my role as a member of SLT
and I’d suggest you do something linked to PSHE.
A lovely PSHE idea would be to use The Colour Monster simply as a starting point for talking about feelings, rather than spending most of the session reading the story.
Activity* *idea: “What’s in the Feelings bag/box?”
Beforehand, I’d ask the school if the children could wear name lables when you arrive.
I’d take in a drawstring sack or special box* *containing a few simple objects or picture cards linked to different emotions. For example:
- a small teddy – comfort/sadness
- a party hat or balloon – happiness/excitement
- a toy spider – worry/fear
- a crumpled piece of paper or red card – anger/frustration
- a little heart – love/kindness
- a glittery star – feeling proud/calm
I’d briefly introduce The Colour Monster, perhaps showing the cover and saying something like, “The Colour Monster sometimes has lots of different feelings all mixed up. Today we’re going to help him—and ourselves—think about what different feelings might feel like.” You could have some jars with coloured liquid in side them as a static visual.
Then make the discussion the ‘main’ thing . Children could take turns choosing something from the sack. You could ask, “What feeling could this remind us of?”, “When might someone feel like that?”, “How could we tell that somebody was feeling worried?” and if you have time , “What could help someone when they feel this way?”
For Year 1, I’d avoid putting children on the spot by constantly asking about their own experiences. You could phrase things through characters instead: “Imagine the Colour Monster is feeling lonely because nobody has chosen to play with him. What could we do?” Children can still share their own experiences if they want to, but nobody has to disclose anything personal.
To finish, I’d say that if this was a longer session I’d give each child either a scenario or situation and they could match the colour or come up with a solution etc. They could draw a face showing one emotion, or draw/write one thing that might help somebody with that feeling.
If you’ve got any questions about this all about the interview process PM me x