An inopportune time to learn something new does not exist. You are not too deep (or new!) into your teaching career to implement a fresh technique or strategy. Each wake-up boasts an untouched beginning that you can transform with one small change in your classroom. Let me suggest starting with this: Morning Meeting.
I have been teaching for over a decade, and this has been, by far, my most rewarding and successful year. I’ve often pondered the cause of this. Is this cohort of students simply incredible? Are they finally propelling forward after the stagnant trend due to Covid? Am I just now getting the hang of this teaching thing? While all of these may have some validity, the real answer lies within one simple change I have made this year: implementing a daily morning meeting.
How do you start implementing morning meetings?
Before the school year started, I made the decision to try to start most days with a morning meeting. I teach fifth grade, so this can seem like somewhat of an arbitrary thought. Teachers may envision morning meetings as a place for youngsters to correct a greeting, perhaps using different colors and punctuation marking strategies. My view for this year was different. I wanted this time of the day to resemble a family gathering. A place to share what was happening for the day, open up about things in my life, and allow students to express anything they were thinking or feeling. What this turned into was far beyond my expectations. The sense of community it fostered has transformed my classroom.
Understanding the importance of students’ social-emotional learning and the opportunity to learn how to communicate and connect with one another makes morning meeting the perfect recipe for any classroom. Although the benefits of morning meetings seem limitless, the main goal of this sacred time each morning, as per theglobalscholars.com, is to give students a learning environment “that allows them to trust one another, feel important, and boost empathy and teamwork.” I have found first-hand that when students feel valued, listened to, and safe, the success that follows in the classroom is boundless.
What do morning meetings look like?
So what does this part of the day look like? There are many different takes on morning meetings; realistically, each teacher needs to find what works for them and their students. For my classroom, when students are called for a morning meeting, they join me in our meeting spot. Many of them sit on the carpet in front of me, and some of them pull up a chair to sit around the carpet (as fifth graders, some of them prefer to be in a chair because it is more comfortable for them, and I gave them that option from the beginning – as long as they were sitting around the carpet in some way, it worked for me).
I start by greeting them, sharing what our day looks like, if there are any changes or adjustments to our schedule, and then I share my life. This has been an integral part of this classroom transformation. For so many years, I have had walls up with my students, thinking that I was supposed to remain private, that they should see me and respect me as their teacher and not know the personal details of my life. I was so far from home plate with that assumption.
I have shared my life with them each day. I tell stories about my four children, my dog, my upcoming plans, and vacations during breaks. But I don’t just tell them the good things. I share the not-so-easy parts too. If I have a migraine, or if I’m exhausted from no sleep, or if one of my children throws up on me – I share it.
Connecting with Students
My students have connected with me because they see me. Not just Mrs. Barnes. Jennifer Barnes. The whole person. The mom, wife, friend, daughter, human.
Furthermore, being open about my life has allowed them to see that it’s safe for them to do so. My students have shared more with me this year than in my previous years combined. We have laughed together, cried together, and gave endless amounts of support to each other. My students have shown empathy towards one another and enjoyed telling their stories and sharing themselves. After I share and open the floor for them to share, we end our morning meeting with a question each day.
These randomly selected questions range from “if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go” to “what’s the best – milk, white or dark chocolate?” During the question, students turn and talk to a partner to answer it. This enhances their communication skills and helps them continue to learn about each other. We then do a quick share out of responses before students head back to their seats to start the day.
On days where we’ve had an early assembly or an event first thing, and the morning meeting hasn’t taken place as usual -the students feel it. They often request afternoon meetings instead, or they come up to me sporadically to tell me bits and pieces of their life that they didn’t get to share that morning.
Transforming Classroom Spaces
I never expected the transformation that came about from one simple change. But the more I reflected, the more it made sense. Taking time to listen to students helps you understand them as a whole child, not just a student. The things that impact their daily lives will ultimately flow into the classroom. When teachers provide a safe, welcoming space, they “share the message that every person matters and that individual and group interactions matter” (ascd.org). For our students to learn, they often have to step outside their comfort zones. They have to take risks and will likely only do so when they confidently know that they are valued and respected.
Cultivating a positive classroom environment should be the first thing on teachers’ minds, whether seasoned or still wet behind the ears. Starting a morning meeting routine in your classroom – and whole-heartedly investing in it – can change the course of both your and your students’ educational careers.
Jennifer Barnes is an elementary educator from New York with a master’s degree in literacy. She has taught fifth grade for the last ten years, and her passion for writing, reflection, and growth is what propels her forward. When she’s not teaching, she loves exploring with her four children and husband, traveling, and devouring a good book.
