A couple years ago during our pre-opening summer PD sessions, my assistant principal introduced us to the Responsive Classroom strategy called “Morning Meeting”. It was implemented school-wide and quickly became one of the highlights of my day in the classroom. I even purchased my own copy of The Morning Meeting Book by Roxann Kriete & Carol Davis. I believe that Morning Meeting or some type of forum that facilitates the same kind of interactions should be a priority. This is definitely going to be important if or when schools reopen for the new school year.
For those of you who are not familiar with this strategy, let me share a quick overview of what it is as described in the book. “Morning Meeting lasts up to a half hour each day and is made up of four sequential components: greeting, sharing, group activity, and morning message. Daily practice of the four components gradually weaves a web that binds a class together.”
The Components
- Greeting - Students greet each other by name, often including handshaking, singing, movement, and other activities.
- Sharing - Students share some news of information about themselves and respond to each other, articulating their thoughts, feelings, and ideas in a positive way.
- Group Activity - The whole class does a short, inclusive activity together, reinforcing learning and building class cohesion through active participation.
- Morning Message - Students practice academic skills and warms up for the day ahead by reading and discussing a daily note to the class posted by their teacher.
Now that you have a general idea of the framework for Morning Meeting, I want to share three tips for making this time meaningful for your students.
I also like to ask questions or cite earlier experiences that students can all relate to. For example, “Did you see flurries on your way to school this morning?” or “I was exhausted when I went home yesterday after our walking field trip. How did you feel when you got home?” This opens the door to more dialogue because I have pulled their attention to something that they all experienced.
- Make your Morning Message relatable.
I also like to ask questions or cite earlier experiences that students can all relate to. For example, “Did you see flurries on your way to school this morning?” or “I was exhausted when I went home yesterday after our walking field trip. How did you feel when you got home?” This opens the door to more dialogue because I have pulled their attention to something that they all experienced.
2. Establish norms to make it a “safe space” for students to share.
The sharing component of Morning Meeting can be powerful and yet it can also be a scary experience for students. In an attempt to establish expectations, I like to share information about myself, my thoughts and feelings during the initial period of building relationships at the beginning of the school year. Sharing in Morning Meeting allows students to learn about each other and to engage in various ways. This provides a framework for them to develop empathy, become more socially aware, and to consider other people’s perspectives. We must be the facilitators for these things to happen so we must also model how to respond to what is shared. We have to show our students what constructive, purposeful questions and insightful comments are. I have a zero tolerance for any sign of ridicule or demeaning behavior; and so I deliberately foster an environment of mutual respect and patience. In this space, students have the option to refrain from sharing if they feel uncomfortable, or need more thinking time. In my experience, I usually have the opposite problem of too many students wanting to share. In my opinion, that’s a good problem to have.
The sharing component of Morning Meeting can be powerful and yet it can also be a scary experience for students. In an attempt to establish expectations, I like to share information about myself, my thoughts and feelings during the initial period of building relationships at the beginning of the school year. Sharing in Morning Meeting allows students to learn about each other and to engage in various ways. This provides a framework for them to develop empathy, become more socially aware, and to consider other people’s perspectives. We must be the facilitators for these things to happen so we must also model how to respond to what is shared. We have to show our students what constructive, purposeful questions and insightful comments are. I have a zero tolerance for any sign of ridicule or demeaning behavior; and so I deliberately foster an environment of mutual respect and patience. In this space, students have the option to refrain from sharing if they feel uncomfortable, or need more thinking time. In my experience, I usually have the opposite problem of too many students wanting to share. In my opinion, that’s a good problem to have.
3. Follow up and provide feedback.
Morning Meetings provide wonderful opportunities for us to connect with our students. Sometimes, time or environment does not allow for a thorough exploration of some of the issues that are raised in that setting. It is important for teachers to capitalize on these connections and provide support and feedback at other times outside of Morning Meeting. I like to initiate conversations during recess time with my students based on things that they shared earlier in the day. This is a more relaxed environment away from the formal structure of the classroom without peer attention. Students may choose to share the details related to something they talked about during Morning Meeting and enjoy the attention that I can provide at that time. One of the things that my students enjoy is my written feedback that I provide in a #Note based on something they shared in a note to me. They also get excited when they receive “Greatness Notes” from me that they can take home to share with their families. This is something specific to the student who receives it and clearly recognizes them for something they did, and their quality of greatness is also celebrated. I have found this to be quite impactful. Through these notes, I am able to connect with my students on a very personal level.
Morning Meetings provide wonderful opportunities for us to connect with our students. Sometimes, time or environment does not allow for a thorough exploration of some of the issues that are raised in that setting. It is important for teachers to capitalize on these connections and provide support and feedback at other times outside of Morning Meeting. I like to initiate conversations during recess time with my students based on things that they shared earlier in the day. This is a more relaxed environment away from the formal structure of the classroom without peer attention. Students may choose to share the details related to something they talked about during Morning Meeting and enjoy the attention that I can provide at that time. One of the things that my students enjoy is my written feedback that I provide in a #Note based on something they shared in a note to me. They also get excited when they receive “Greatness Notes” from me that they can take home to share with their families. This is something specific to the student who receives it and clearly recognizes them for something they did, and their quality of greatness is also celebrated. I have found this to be quite impactful. Through these notes, I am able to connect with my students on a very personal level.
James Comer really knew what he was talking about when he said:
I have prepared a FREE resource for download from the resource page that you may use if you are interested in using a template for the greatness note. As you look ahead to the upcoming school year, start thinking about what you can do to connect more meaningfully with your students. They will definitely need it.