Responsive Classroom Morning Meeting is 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 twenty to thirty minutes and interact with one another during four purposeful components: Greeting: Students and teachers Read More »
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MAR
30
2015
Morning Meeting Visits: Sharing Ideas and Insights
I enjoy planning Morning Meetings for my students, and each year I see how beneficial these gatherings are in creating a positive classroom community. I’ve also found that sharing and being exposed…
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AUG
27
2014
Take it Slow with Morning Meeting
It's hard to believe that the school year is upon us. I remember the excitement—and apprehension—I felt as I made my lesson plans for the first weeks of school. One of the…
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APR
23
2014
Making Greeting More Engaging
Do you often wonder how to keep the sense of comfortable routine while also varying Morning Meetings enough to keep students (and adults) interested and engaged? Greetings can be especially important because…
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APR
15
2014
Morning Meeting Lesson Plans . . . Where to Begin?
Do you think a lot about how to create Morning Meetings that positively impact each day and prepare your students for the learning to come? I'll share a little secret that has…
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APR
11
2014
Sharing Leads to Learning
Sharing is a rich and vital part of a daily Morning Meeting, a key Responsive Classroom practice in which all classroom members—grown-ups and students—gather in a circle for twenty to thirty minutes…
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APR
11
2014
Teaching Skillful Communication
Ryan holds up the book so all his classmates can see the cover and begins: "Reptile Facts is my favorite first grade book. Every first grader should read this book because it…
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OCT
11
2013
Keeping Morning Meeting Greetings Fresh and Fun
After doing many Morning Meetings, teachers often wonder how to keep the sense of comfortable routine while also varying the meetings enough to keep students (and adults) interested and engaged. Greetings can…
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JUL
20
2011
The Power of Morning Meeting
The earnest fourth grade girl straightened up tall and looked around the circle, drew a deep breath and began: “Our greeting today will go like this. First you say your name, then…
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JUL
20
2011
Morning Meeting Is for Everyone
Welcome to Morning Meeting in my full inclusion classroom. Twenty-one first graders sit in a large circle on a brightly colored rug. I'm in a small rocking chair, my hand lightly touching…
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MAY
06
2011
Morning Meeting: A Powerful Way to Begin the Day
In the spring of my first year as a secondary school teacher, I got a letter from a student for whom I had a particular fondness, letting me know that she was…
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APR
05
2011
Morning Routines
What happens in your classroom during arrival time? Those first minutes are so crucial for setting the tone and the pace for the day! The routines you put in place for arrival…
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SEP
13
2010
Books for Back-to-School: Say Hello!
Here’s another children’s book that might come in handy early in the school year. Say Hello!, a picture book by Rachel Isadora, is a good one for when you are introducing Morning…
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JAN
11
2010
Notes from the Road
During a recent school visit, I marveled at the myriad tasks and responsibilities that comprise the first few minutes of the school day. Watching one teacher calmly direct all this activity reinforced…
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NOV
01
2009
Small Changes, Great Gains
There’s a happy buzz in Mr. M’s third grade class. It’s late fall, and the children take pride in knowing just what to do as their school day begins. First, there’s the…
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NOV
01
2009
Knowing and Being Known Through Sharing
I firmly believe that the better I know students—the more I understand the joys and challenges of their daily lives—the more responsively I can teach them. Similarly, the better they know each…
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FEB
01
2008
“How does that make you feel?”
I’m new to the Responsive Classroom approach, but even in my first year of having Morning Meetings, the children’s social growth exceeded what I had typically seen in my kindergarten classes. For…
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AUG
01
2007
The Art of Commenting
On a late spring morning, Mr. Marino’s fourth graders are gathered quietly on their Morning Meeting rug, all eyes on Joe, whose turn it is to share.“I played a basketball game on…
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AUG
01
2007
Morning Meeting: A Soft Place to Land
When Eric's father died suddenly just before a long weekend, Morning Meeting gave our school the safe structure we needed to help this second grader and his schoolmates cope with the tragedy.
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NOV
01
2006
“Good Morning, Learners!”
One March morning, children entering a fourth grade classroom take turns gathering at a chart on which their teacher has written a message just for them:March 7, 2005Dear Invertebrate Investigators, Yesterday we…
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NOV
01
2001
“Like Being at the Breakfast Table”
Adapted, with permission, from an article in Childhood Education, Spring 2001
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