Every day, our kids come bounding into our classroom with a million things: some are happy, some are sad, some are tired, some are mad. And let’s be honest, some kids come in with a ton of emotions going on! I needed a way to handle all of this in a calm and trauma-informed way. That’s where Morning Meeting comes in.
What is Morning Meeting?
Morning Meeting is a time in our classroom when we put the academics on pause and we come together as a classroom. We talk about the things that are on our minds – what’s going well, what could be improved, and how we can make our classroom a better place.
How To Incorporate Morning Meeting into Your Day
One question I get asked a TON is “Mikey, how do you work SEL into your day?”
I am lucky in the sense that I work in a self-contained situation, so making time for SEL and Morning Meeting is a little easier for me. I literally asked my administration team if we could use the first 15-20 minutes of class for this Morning Meeting time, and I found out that not only was the answer YES, but that other classrooms had already established something similar.
Step #1: Morning Meeting Needs Time
I can’t tell you how many times I hear teachers say, “I’m not doing Morning Meeting. I have to do {insert any subject area}!” Trust me, I get it. However, I also know that studies have shown that when you address social-emotional needs (think Maslow), your academic scores go up because students are ready to learn. It’s worth the time investment.
I recommend doing this each day, but if you can’t, once a week is the minimum I’d recommend. Like I said earlier, I literally carve out the first 15-20 minutes each day for this. School starts at 8:55am, and no academics happen until 9:20am.
Tip #2: Use a Structure
In my classroom, we use a Four Quadrant structure. This means that we spend about five minutes each on each quadrant. The quadrants are pictured below (and are available as a free download at the end of the blog). The first month takes some getting used to, but by October we are in a routine and making things happen!
Extra Bonus Tip: Use something to designate who’s talking. We have an awesome Qball that students throw to each other. You can’t talk unless you have the Qball in hand. It can be anything – even a stress ball!
Tip #3: Be As Quiet As You Can
The idea behind Morning Meeting is that the kids eventually run the show. You should be an active listener and be in the circle with the kids, but as the year goes on, you really shouldn’t talk much. Not only does this help build trust and community between the students, but it also provides meaningful practice in having discussions with one another.
Tip #4: Take Notes
Often, your kids will come up with AMAZING ideas that you might want to implement in your classroom. Be ready to take notes as the kids talk so you don’t forget their awesome ideas! I also take notes if there are repetitive concerns because, well, 5th graders DO need me every once in a while to step in. 😉
Tip #5: Keep The Routine
It’s easy for educators – including me – to say, “Oh man, I’m way behind in Social Studies! Where can I pull time from?” and have the idea to pull Morning Meeting. I highly encourage you NOT to do this, though I know sometimes it just will happen.
If I can’t do it in the morning, we try and reschedule it for some other point in the day. It’s worth it!
Remember…
- Explicitly teach the four quadrants and what kids can talk about in each quadrant. (Available as a free download at the bottom of this blog).
- Stay in a routine as often as you can.
- Reduce your active participance in Morning Meeting to active listener as the year goes along.
- Not much is off-limits, but I do ask that if we have a student concern that we don’t use the student’s name as we talk. (That can cause a TON of trauma!)
You Can Do This!
Morning Meeting is a necessary time in your classroom to process all of the things that are on Maslow’s hierarchy. As we regulate our students and bring them into a healthy brain space, we reduce the effects of trauma and increase academic retention! It’s a win-win.
Need Some Guidance?
I have included a free download of the Quadrants I’ve spoken about throughout the blog post so you can get an idea of what Morning Meeting looks like. I hope it helps!
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