Morning Meetings

Last semester, I had the opportunity to learn about the importance of morning meetings and how to effectively run one. I found the concept of morning meetings to be incredibly valuable, as they provide a structured time for students to connect with one another and feel heard right from the start of the day. These meetings not only help build relationships within the class but also create a sense of community and belonging.

I have now had the pleasure of seeing a meeting in action in Mrs. D’s grade 6 class. Before I can explain what I observed in her classroom, I would like to give you a description of what a morning meeting looks like.

There are four components to a morning meeting.

Sharing

Teachers encourage student engagement by posing thought-provoking questions spanning a wide spectrum of topics, ranging from current events to fantastical realms, igniting curiosity and imagination within the classroom. Examples of these questions are “If you were a superhero, what would your name be? What powers would you have?”, “How do you help others?”, and “Of all the things you are learning, what do you think will be the most useful when you are an adult?”. For more examples please visit https://learngrowblossom.co/105-morning-meeting-sharing-ideas/

Group Activity

All individuals take part in a brief and dynamic activity aimed at strengthening group unity while allowing students to sharpen both their social and academic skills. These activities may include reciting poetry, dancing, singing, or engaging in interactive games. For more activities please visit https://elementaryedu.com/2021/12/morning-meeting-activities.html

Morning Message

Students engage with a brief message composed by their teacher, designed to guide their focus towards the day’s academic tasks and activities. The teacher tailors the message to facilitate student understanding and preparation for the day’s learning objectives. For ideas on how to compose a morning message please visit https://elementaryedu.com/2021/12/morning-message-ideas.html

For more information on morning meetings and why they are so important in a classroom watch the short video below. 

During the grade 6 morning meeting, student’s were posed the question “If your favourite colour had a smell, what would it smell like?”. Students had a lot of fun answering this question, but were forewarned not to make their smell gross, or she would end the sharing. I was able to participate in this sharing and my answer was hot pink and it reminded me of Hubba Bubba gum 🙂

One thing I observed in this class during their morning meeting was that it was an “Everything you may, nothing you must” type of activity, and students had the freedom to pass if they did not want to participate. It was intriguing to see students who passed often, but when something they enjoyed was introduced, they were eager to join in. This fostered a positive and supportive classroom environment, where students felt comfortable sharing their thoughts, concerns, and experiences. 

Moving forward, I’m excited to implement morning meetings in my own classroom as a way to prioritize student voice and cultivate a welcoming and inclusive learning environment. Please enjoy below a kindergarten morning meeting I co-created with a classmate in my management class last semester.

Morning Meeting: Kindergarten

Created by Kelly and Lauren

Check in: Sign in question will be on the board, as students are filing in they will sign their name in one of four quadrants answering which season they like the best. Each quadrant will have the word as well as a season image to help them figure it out. Normal classroom we would have a few students arriving at a time and would be able to help them. 

Greeting: T-Rex Handshake

Try to find one friend you haven’t greeted in morning meeting yet this week

• Students will walk around with short “t-rex” hands and greet other students. 
• Greet 3-5 friends, handshake/wave, go up to friends and say and try to shake their hand  “Good morning Ms Kelly!” they will respond “Good Morning Ms Lauren!” 

Sharing: What do you like about the season you chose?

Quickly go over what full body listening looks like by asking students for examples.

• We will go through the quadrants and ask each student what is one thing they like about the season they chose (or one thing they like doing in that season).
• Could follow attendance sheet order or backwards so we don’t do all the same seasons at once 

Group Activity: A Fall Wind Blows

 Teacher will say “A fall wind blows for everyone who” and then follow it up with a trait, meaning something specific, and if it relates to a student, they jump up and wiggle.  Example “ A fall wind blows for everyone that is wearing black,” 

• Possible statements: wearing a certain colour, laces on their shoes, hair colour, who chose a specific season, who has a birthday in certain month, who likes to eat fruit, who has a dog (depends on your students and the level they are at)
• Our statements will then turn into ideas the students gave on why they like each season.

News and Announcements: 

When reading the classroom announcements the teacher will be using their finger pointing out each word as it is being read. 

• Dear friends, today’s special helper is Jennie. Today is a hot lunch day. What are the expectations at lunch time for a hot lunch day? This weekend, see if you notice any fall changes happening outside! Happy fall, Mrs Olson and Miss Kelly. 
• First we would read through the whole note then discuss. Special helper Jennie gets a special chair for that day; what happens at hot lunch; we’ve been talking about seasons specifically fall, what does it look like; have a good weekend!
• Possible extension, we would have students volunteer to pick out and circle the letter we are learning that week from the message

From here we would transition into math with fall themed manipulatives – leaves, pinecones, pine needles etc. 

Sending students back in groups helps prevent miss behaviors like pushing and shoving.