How to Make Morning Meetings a Success in Your Classroom
Morning meetings are more than just a classroom routine—they’re a daily investment in building community, promoting positive behaviors, and setting a tone for the rest of the day. Whether you’re a new teacher looking to implement morning meetings or a seasoned educator seeking fresh ideas, I’ve got you covered.
Having done morning meetings with 4th graders (and previously with middle and high schoolers), I can honestly say they’re one of the most effective tools for relationship building and engagement. Plus, it’s a great way to assess your students' moods, emotions, and readiness for the day ahead.
What is a Morning Meeting?
For those who are new to the concept, a morning meeting is a structured daily gathering where students and teachers come together to greet each other, share thoughts, participate in an activity, and prepare for the day’s lessons. It typically lasts about 10-20 minutes and can be customized to fit the needs of your classroom.
Here’s the typical structure of a morning meeting:
Greeting: Students greet each other in a friendly, engaging way.
Sharing: Students share personal news or answer a fun prompt.
Activity: A quick, energizing game or activity to build a sense of teamwork.
Morning Message: A brief message that sets expectations or excitement for the day ahead.
Let’s break these components down and look at some best practices for making them work seamlessly in your classroom.
1. Start with a Warm Greeting
The greeting is a powerful way to begin the day. It helps students feel seen and heard, and it builds that crucial sense of belonging. You can go traditional with a handshake, fist bump, or "good morning," or you can make it more interactive with fun greetings like elbow bumps, secret handshakes, or even greetings in different languages. This could be a good moment to sneak in some cultural learning!
When I noticed students getting bored with the usual greetings, I knew I needed to switch it up. That's when I created my Paperless Morning Meeting Slides: Greetings, Questions, and Games Year-Long. These slides make it easy to change up your greetings each day. You can have students greet each other with "superhero poses" one day, or "what's your favorite emoji?" the next. The slides are editable, so you can adapt them to fit your students' interests as the year goes on.
2. Encourage Sharing with Fun Prompts
Sharing allows students to practice their speaking and listening skills while building trust with their peers. It’s an opportunity to create a safe space where students feel comfortable being themselves. This can take the form of news sharing (“Tell us about something fun you did this weekend”) or thought-provoking prompts (“If you could have any superpower, what would it be?”).
A trick that has worked for me is using a variety of question types to keep things fresh. Some days I’ll ask an open-ended question, and other days I’ll do something quick, like "Would You Rather?" or "Two Truths and a Lie." You can make sharing a whole-group activity, or for larger classes, it works well in pairs or small groups to ensure everyone gets a chance to speak.
If you find it hard to come up with fresh prompts every day (believe me, I’ve been there!), the Paperless Morning Meeting Slides also come with pre-made questions for you to use all year long. No more Googling “morning meeting questions” at 6 a.m. before school. These are all ready to go, and you can switch them out whenever you want.
3. Play an Engaging Activity
The activity part of the morning meeting is crucial for getting students moving and energized for the day. It can be a quick game or brain teaser to promote teamwork, critical thinking, or just some plain old fun! Games like "Silent Ball," "Four Corners," or quick charades are great options for this.
If you're short on time or space, even a virtual quiz or short brain break can work wonders. For days when you’re pressed for time, I’ve found that the activities built into my Morning Meeting Slides are a lifesaver. You can easily select from activities like "Guess the Sound," "Riddle Me This," or "Scavenger Hunt" without having to dig for materials. Plus, these paperless options are so simple to implement, and students love the variety.
One activity my students always ask for is "Find Someone Who…" where they get up and try to find classmates who meet certain criteria (like "Find someone who has the same favorite color as you"). It’s perfect for movement, and it helps them learn more about each other in a non-academic context.
4. Deliver the Morning Message
The morning message is a great way to transition students from the meeting to the day's lessons. It’s a short statement or question that gets them thinking about the day's work. You can use this time to preview the schedule, introduce a new topic, or pose a question related to what you’ll be studying.
A tip that works well is to personalize the morning message whenever possible. Mention something specific that happened in yesterday’s lesson, or even better, tailor it to things happening in your students' lives. This makes the message more meaningful and shows students you’re paying attention to them as individuals.
Why Morning Meetings Work
There are a number of benefits to implementing morning meetings. For one, they create structure and routine, which students thrive on. A consistent meeting each day signals to them that they’re starting the school day on a positive, structured note.
Here’s why I believe morning meetings are essential:
● Build Relationships: You get to know your students, and they get to know each other.
● Develop Social Skills: Students practice speaking, listening, and working together.
● Set a Positive Tone: Starting the day in a positive, engaging way can influence behavior and attention for the rest of the day.
● Promote Inclusivity: Every student has the chance to participate and feel included in the classroom community.
● Encourage Responsibility: Students take ownership of their role in the meeting, whether it’s greeting someone or sharing their thoughts.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
While morning meetings are a great tool, they’re not without their challenges. Here are a few pitfalls I’ve seen (and experienced!) and how to avoid them:
● Overplanning: It’s easy to pack too much into your morning meeting, especially when you’re excited about all the activities you want to try. Keep it simple, especially at first. Stick to one greeting, one question, and one quick activity.
● Time Management: Morning meetings can easily run long if you’re not careful. Set a timer to help keep things moving, and don’t be afraid to skip an element if you’re running short on time.
● Same Routine, Every Day: While consistency is important, if the routine becomes too predictable, students might start to lose interest. Change up the greetings, questions, and activities to keep things fresh. Again, this is where having a tool like my Paperless Morning Meeting Slides can really save the day.
Tips for Success
Establish Clear Expectations: From day one, explain the purpose of the morning meeting and what behaviors you expect during this time. Use a calm, focused tone to set the standard.
Be Consistent: The key to morning meetings is doing them daily. The routine helps students feel grounded and ready to start the day. If you skip too often, the impact of the meetings diminishes.
Use Visual Aids: Especially with younger students, having something visual to guide the morning meeting can help them stay engaged. My Morning Meeting Slides are designed to be simple, visually engaging, and adaptable for all elementary levels. It’s a no-prep solution that still feels dynamic and fun for the kids.
Student Leadership: As students become familiar with the morning meeting routine, you can gradually give them leadership roles. For example, have a student lead the greeting or come up with the day’s question.
Keep it Fun: The goal is to start the day on a positive note. Even when you’re feeling rushed or stressed, try to keep the energy light and fun during morning meetings. Your students will feed off your enthusiasm!
Final Thoughts
Morning meetings are a fantastic way to cultivate a positive classroom environment, foster relationships, and set a productive tone for the day. They don’t have to be complicated or time-consuming, but with a little planning and consistency, they can make a world of difference in your classroom.
If you’re looking for an easy, paperless way to structure your morning meetings, check out my Paperless Morning Meeting Slides: Greetings, Questions, and Games Year-Long. It’s everything you need to make your morning meetings run smoothly, and it’ll save you loads of time!
