Why create space for morning meetings?
Morning meetings can be a huge part of building a classroom community and are essential for starting the school day off on the right foot.
Sets the Tone and Expectations for Our Classroom Community
Through read-alouds and discussions, I convey that including others is an expectation. Then, I provide students with tools for dealing with conflict. We talk about strong emotions and how to manage them, and I can encourage students to develop compassion and practice kindness among other social and emotional skills.
Morning Meetings Allow Students to Bond with One Another and Develop Empathy, Compassion, and Understanding
As students open up to one another during reflections and discussions, we have the opportunity to see our classmates in new ways. It often changes our perspective on a person when he or she shares their feelings and experiences with us.
Offers a Consistent Space to Air Any Frustrations and Problem-Solve Behavioral Issues
Morning meetings can provide a consistent space for students and teachers to air any frustrations they’re experiencing within the classroom, and problem-solve whole group behavioral issues. Having a morning meeting time built into our schedule gives us a safety net for improving our classroom environment. If you’re interested in an easy, effective, student-led behavioral reflection and goal-setting strategy, I have a link to other helpful blog posts at the end of this blog post.
Provides a Consistent Opportunity to Respond to Students’ Social and Emotional Needs
When your students really need you to discuss or address something, you’ve already got that time built into your schedule rather than taking time from another subject area.
Provides a Platform for Personal Goal Setting and Self-Reflection
We all know that goal setting is important, but there’s usually not enough time for it during the school day. By embedding goal-setting into morning meeting routines, students have the opportunity to learn how to set goals and develop strategies throughout the year. Students complete a quick self-assessment at the beginning of each morning meeting theme unit and set personal goals based on that reflection. That having students reflect on their personal attitudes and behaviors in relation to each theme, I am able to assist students in identifying their strengths and weaknesses. Throughout discussions, we are able to help one another develop strategies and skills that will help us achieve our goals. By writing our goals down, sharing them aloud, and returning to them often to evaluate our progress, we hold one another accountable.
Students NEED a Consistent Social and Emotional Routine
Morning meeting is your opportunity to teach students to create a sense of belonging for others, to persevere, to accept others, and to have a growth mindset. To manage their own emotions, to be responsible, to create and maintain friendships. Students of all levels and abilities need a routine like morning meetings. They also need it to be a consistent routine. As we get into the school year and seem to have less and less time for all that we need to accomplish, there have been times when I have dropped my morning meeting routine and issues quickly begin to arise with students’ interactions in their relationships.
You can probably think of a few issues, but maybe someone is being rude or bossy on the playground. Lunchtime, is not as enjoyable as it should be. The special area teachers may be reporting that my students are having difficulty getting along. If I have squeezed out the time in our classroom that I had carved out for morning meetings and my students are behaving poorly. I know that our classroom community is suffering and that I need to get back to holding regular morning meetings.
Morning Meetings Make a Tremendous Impact on Students and the Classroom Environment
It is one of the greatest ways that we can bond, stick together and create a classroom community that lasts all year long. Having this type of feeling in our classrooms can make the difference with students’ confidence and feeling comfortable enough to come out of their shells. Then they will be able to take the confidence into their academics after feeling socially accepted.
Morning Meetings are Also Beneficial for the Teacher’s Mental Health
You may find my last reason for having morning meetings a little self-serving, but I believe morning meetings are also beneficial for the teacher’s mental health. This is a key reason that I don’t want to neglect morning meetings. Morning meeting readies my brain for the school day ahead. It reconnects me with the students I am there to serve. Morning meeting teaches me lessons and reminds me how to be a better human.
On some of my toughest days, morning meeting gave me a reason to show up and set the tone for the day we were going to have. Morning meetings can be just as much about filling the teacher’s bucket as it is about students’ social/emotional development.