Six Ways to Celebrate Poetry Month in the Classroom

April 25, 2019 Categories: Academic Choice / Energizers & Activities / Engaging Academics / Joyful Classrooms / Message Ideas / Special Times in the Year
Did you know that according to poets.org, National Poetry Month is actually the biggest literary celebration in the world? It’s never too early to start fostering a love of the English language with your students, and there’s no better time to begin than Poetry Month! Following are some great ways that you can celebrate poetry Read More »
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APR
30
2014

Easy Ways to Vary Morning Meeting Greetings

How can you keep the sense of comfortable routine while also varying Morning Meetings enough to keep students (and adults) interested and engaged? Greetings can set the tone for the whole meeting—and…
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APR
24
2014

What to Do When Greetings Get Silly

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
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
03
2014

Planning Morning Meetings for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

When Elizabeth Powell and I co-taught in an inclusion program for students on the autism spectrum, we discovered that Morning Meeting offered an excellent opportunity to address these students’ needs and to…
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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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APR
18
2012

Morning Message Idea: What Do You Know?

Here’s a Morning Meeting message idea from 80 Morning Meeting Ideas for Grades 3–6, by Carol Davis: Use a message like this one to tap students’ prior knowledge and engage them in…
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APR
11
2012

Morning Message Idea: Favorite Numbers

Here’s a Morning Meeting message idea from 80 Morning Meeting Ideas for Grades K–2, by Susan Lattanzi Roser: Use a message like this one about favorite numbers to engage students with math.…
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FEB
06
2012

Weekly Plan for Morning Messages

In addition to the other tips I shared for getting out of a Morning Meeting Message rut, I strongly recommend making a weekly plan. Instead of trying to come up with ideas…
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FEB
03
2012

Are You in a Morning Message Rut?

If so, you're not alone! I've been hearing from teachers who feel they could do more to make this part of Morning Meeting as purposeful, fun, and engaging as greeting, sharing and…
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MAR
24
2011

Good Morning, Friendly Workers!

Question: In many classrooms, the morning message chart is an important part of the beginning of each day and the first place that students go as they enter the classroom. On the…
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MAR
04
2011

Ideas for Morning Meeting Messages

Question:I often struggle to write the Morning Meeting message because my imagination runs dry. What suggestions can you offer that might help me come up with fresh and interesting messages?Answer:This is a…
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NOV
09
2010

What Do You Think a Decimal Is?

During a recent visit to a third grade classroom, I was tickled by students' responses to a question on the morning message chart. The class was about to begin a unit of…
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AUG
01
2010

Opening the Door to Math

Morning Meeting activities can provide a confidence-building environment for math review, and Morning Meeting messages can be used to pique students’ curiosity about a math lesson that will take place later in…
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JAN
26
2010

Math is Everywhere!

Recently, I was standing at an airport baggage claim area when a large ceiling tile fell and grazed my left shoulder. At about the same time as I felt the tile, I…
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DEC
17
2009

Handling the Holidays: Morning Meeting Message

Tips on using Morning Meeting Messages and the last part of Morning Meeting, reading the message together, to set a positive tone during the build-up to winter holidays and vacation. Winter themes.…
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DEC
14
2009

Handling the Holidays: Morning Meeting Greeting

Tips on using the greeting component of Morning Meeting to set a positive tone during the build-up to winter holidays and vacation.
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DEC
13
2009

Handling the Holidays

As the holidays swing into full gear, maintaining a productive and calm atmosphere in the classroom can be challenging. Students can be more fidgety, giggly, testy, and tired at this time of…
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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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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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AUG
01
2006

Three Fun Greetings to Try with Your Students

Question: Do you have a Greeting that works really well for Morning Meeting with your students?  A: When we do a Seat-Switch Greeting, the children enjoy moving around to sit in different…
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APR
01
2005

News and Announcement Charts

Question: What’s one activity you’ve found effective for the interactive part of the Morning Meeting News and Announcements chart?
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