Category: Education

When I first heard the idea of morning meetings, I didn’t really think it was possible to work with Middle Schoolers based on our time restraints and the fact that our blocks/class sessions were only 90 minutes long.  However, I was determined to try it out to see what all the buzz was about.  I wanted to make connections with my students and build relationships that would make our classroom culture one that was warm, and productive.  I decided to start small with simply doing a class meeting once a week.  I was nervous about how the students would react and what topic would be safe for Middle Schoolers who could be very cruel at times.  Nonetheless, I embarked on this journey and was determined to give it a try.  

I teach Social Studies so I used a small soft ball of the World as our object that meant you had the floor to speak.  I also had an emoji squishy ball that the kids love.  I started the meeting the first week of school to get to know the students. We started small and simple by everyone saying their name and something they did over the summer.  We made our rules on how the meeting would work, for example only the person with the ball could speak.  If you wanted to speak and it was a topic that was based only on voluntary response you would raise your hand and then the person with the ball would call on the person they were going to throw the ball too.  I immediately found out that they enjoyed these meetings and a chance to express themselves.  They would constantly ask me when our next meeting would be!  I always wrap up the meeting and make sure we end on a positive note.

I started doing meetings weekly and even asked the students about what they wanted to discuss. This started to allow students to take ownership of their meeting. A few weeks into school we talked about what they liked and disliked about Middle School ,since I teach 6th grade, and this was a new experience for them.  I definitely feel the use of classroom meetings are useful and have allowed my students to build relationships with me as well as their classmates.  It’s also an opportunity for me to touch on major issues I may see going on such as bullying, or cheating.  I keep the meetings at around 15 minutes and we tend to discuss two questions.  One of the questions requires a response from everyone and the other one is one that you can choose to answer or not.  I always make sure the first question is something that is not going to embarrass anyone or put them in an awkward situation.  Classroom meetings have been a benefit to my classroom.  The students feel comfortable talking with me and each other and they know I truly care and want what is best for them.  I love the environment of my classroom and knowing that my students feel it’s a safe place.    

Experts say Breakfast is indeed a very important meal. A good breakfast fuels you up and gets you ready for the day. In general, kids and teens who eat breakfast have more energy, do better in school, and eat healthier throughout the day. Morning Meeting is the Breakfast of the school day. Morning Meeting gives kids energy, helps them perform better in school, and helps them make better choices throughout the day.

So what is Morning Meeting anyway? The Responsive Classroom defines Morning Meeting as an engaging way to start each day, build a strong sense of community, and set children up for success socially and academically. Each morning, students and teachers gather together in a circle for fifteen to twenty minutes and interact with one another during four purposeful components:

1. Greeting: Students and teachers greet one another by name.
2. Sharing: Students share information about important events in their lives. Listeners often offer empathetic comments or ask clarifying questions.
3. Group Activity: Everyone participates in a brief, lively activity that fosters group cohesion and helps students practice social and academic skills (for example, reciting a poem, dancing, singing, or playing a game).
4. Morning Message: Students read and interact with a short message written by their teacher. The message is crafted to help students focus on the work they’ll do in school that day.

I began my journey with Morning Meeting last school year when the school counselor approached me and requested that I partner with her to bring this to my classroom every single day. I, of course, did not hesitate as I have always prided myself on having positive relationships with my students and often felt stressed about how little we had time to actually bond.  The counselor and I learned as we went which made it  a very organic, messy, yet amazing experience.

This year I hit the ground running with Morning Meeting and it is my absolute. FAVORITE. part. of the school day. My kids know that when the bell rings, it’s time for them to clean up, and get settled for Morning Meeting. They take the initiative each morning to set up our cushions in a circle so everyone has a special space in our circle. They LOVE when I sit right there on the carpet with them. Our greetings are often silly and are guaranteed to bring a smile to each child’s face. We always speak to each other using eye contact and address each other by name. Students love to share. In my thirteen of years teaching I have probably blown off thousands of student stories- telling students there just wasn’t enough time in the day to share. Often, there was never time for those stories and my students quickly started to learn that what they had to say just wasn’t important. Share time during Morning Meeting gives them that outlet to share about their personal lives, their hopes, dreams, and ideas. It allows them to connect with each other and decreases the times when they want to interrupt a lesson to share a random unrelated thought.

Just as important as Sharing is the Activity. This tends to be the delicious dessert to our Morning Meeting. We play games such as “Caught Red-Handed” where students stand shoulder to shoulder with their hands behind their back passing an object while a guesser in the middle tries to catch someone red-handed. We do math fact exercises, grammar task card practice while listening to music, and we love projects. This year I have used The Growth Mindset Coach book by Annie Brock and Heather Hundley as a mentor text for what I call “Mindset Monday”. This book gives a month-by-month mantra and growth mindset lesson and activity that I incorporate into Morning Meeting. We have built the human brain out of play-doh and learned how all the parts work together to help us move and grow.

We have learned about Equality vs Equity and why everyone getting the same thing isn’t always the best solution.

We participate in STEM project activities where students are given objects and a mission. This is a wonderful time to pull in all the PL Profile traits and test their abilities to collaborate, be effective communicators, and think creatively and critically. They are tested on their ability to be  open-minded to their classmates’ ideas and being flexible and adaptable is a must when they fail. This year we’ve made bone bridges from popsicle sticks and q-tips. We’ve made a Mayflower vessel out of tin foil and styrofoam and tested how many Pilgrims (pennies) could be held by their vessel before it capsized.

We have learned how to give and receive feedback and how to reflect when we are given criticisms after watching “Austin’s Butterfly”: https://goo.gl/NMW2t

. We have explored our hopes and dreams and created idea portraits.

Each time I watch my students fail, I see their perseverance strengthen. The first few challenges ended with several students in tears. About three challenges in I’d hear my students cheering each other on and scrapping one idea and getting started on a new one with no time to wallow. They are learning to cope with failure and celebrate the successes of others. Morning Meeting is so much more than just 15-20 minutes where students and their teacher gather in a circle. It’s a time for life lessons that will help our students become better people and be equipped to face life’s challenges with perseverance and positivity.

Student Quotes:

“My favorite part of morning meeting is the greeting. I love “Hit the Floor” because we can do whatever we want, like flips in the circle` but we are always in control of our bodies so no one gets hurt.”

“I love the game “Pass the Yeti. Mrs. Gaffney passes a singing Yeti and whoever is holding him when the song ends, moved to the middle. It is like hot potato and so fun.”

“Morning Meeting taught me that I have lots in common with my classmates. I didn’t think I had that much in common with some people and we always find something in common when we do partner share.”

“My favorite activity is Boom Blast sticks. We stack boom sticks and make a prediction of how many we can stack. It’s a challenge and exciting. It’s either an epic fail or an epic explosion.”

“Morning meeting has taught me that every person has a place in this world.”

Want to see us in action? Check out our Morning Meeting video: https://goo.gl/Pwj4Vi