How to Start Morning Meeting in Your Classroom
If you have seen us share anything about Morning Meeting before, then you may have heard us refer to the MAGIC of morning meeting! This is simply because it truly is magical!
Morning Meeting Ideas for Getting Started
While we love morning meeting, we know first hand that the idea of starting morning meeting in your own classroom can feel overwhelming.
When Coach Amy first heard about morning meeting, she wasn’t convinced it was all that other teachers made it out to be. In fact, she kind of felt like it was just another thing she had to add to an already long list of her “teacher to-do list.”
Eventually, she decided to give it a go though. She immediately saw what all the talk was about!
While it takes a little bit of time up front to get things planned and organized, once everything is prepped – you are ready to go!
Here are 4 simple ideas to help you get started:
- Use a planning sheet that has the same outline for every single day
- Plan your greeting and activities at the beginning of each week (write them on your planning sheet)
- Have a greeting, sharing, and engagement activity for each day
- Plan a set of greetings, sharing topics, and activities that you can rotate through all year.
Want to cut down on the planning and prep? Jump to our already prepped for you morning meeting activities!
Morning Meeting Activities
Step 1: Greet Students
Every morning meeting begins by greeting your students. We found that by having a set of fun greetings, students are engaged the moment they step through the door. Not only are these greetings a fun way to say hello – they are also helpful in building relationships every day.
When you as the teacher greet your students at the door, it shows them you care that each one of them individually has come to class that day. It shows them you are excited to see THEM! This is also an amazing way to help students build positive relationships with their peers if you have them do a student-led morning meeting.
Step 2: Share!
Once everyone has been greeted & seated, then it is time to share. Sharing allows students to connect with one another on a personal level and allows you to get to know your students beyond just academics. Remember, students spend more time in the classroom than anywhere else during the week! Therefore, it is important that they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts in class.
Another great part of sharing is that when you share as the teacher, it builds trust and helps your students get to know you better. The great thing about sharing is it doesn’t have to be complicated. These sharing cards can be cycled through all year long.
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Step 3: Activity time
Once students have shared, it is time to engage them in a fun activity to begin the day! This sets a positive tone for the rest of the day by letting students know that being at school is not just about the school work. It is about getting to know one another and yes, having fun!
Activity time also shows students that you value time to talk and move around. This can support you later on in the day if you need to implement classroom management strategies to get the class back on track. If students know that there is a time and place for fun activities and learning, they are more likely to get back on task.
If you are still a skeptic, we encourage you to give it a try for one week! You can use our free planning sheet above to get a feel for morning meeting. Once you see the magic, we think you will love it as much as we do! Or if you are already a teaching morning meetings in your classroom see how get our students to lead morning meeting here.
