By Ms. Reyes, 2nd Grade Teacher · 3/3/2026
The Problem Every Monday morning, Ms. Reyes would ask her class how they were feeling. The answer was always the same: "Fine."
"I knew they weren't fine. I just didn't have a way in."
The Change She introduced the five Snowballs characters one by one over a week. By Friday, something shifted.
"One boy — usually totally closed off — raised his hand and said 'I'm a Not-Yet today because I don't want to do the math test.' I almost cried."
What Happened Next Within two weeks, the class had developed their own shorthand. "Are you Compare-Bearing this?" became a gentle way to call out unhelpful comparisons.
Morning circles went from 3 minutes of silence to rich, open conversations.
"These characters gave them permission to feel without shame."