1. The Social and Academic Benefits of Morning Meeting Lizzy
Conroy
2. One of six elements of the Responsive Classroom approach to
teaching and learning Responsive Classroom: A teaching approach
that is centered on the idea that students learn most effectively
if they have both academic and social skills Morning Meeting is
based off Circle Time, a routine most commonly seen in early
educational programs Students and the teacher gather in a circle on
the floor every morning for 20-30 minutes What is Morning
Meeting?
3. 1. Morning Meeting sets the tone for respectful learning and
establishes a climate of trust. 2. The tone and climate of Morning
Meeting extend beyond the Meeting. 3. Morning Meeting motivates
children by addressing two human needs: the need to feel a sense of
significance and belonging and the need to have fun. The Purposes
of Morning Meeting
4. 4. The repetition of many ordinary moments of respectful
interacting in Morning Meeting enables some extraordinary moments.
5. Morning Meeting merges social, emotional, and intellectual
learning. The Purposes of Morning Meeting
5. Greeting Sharing Group Activity News and Announcements Four
Components of Morning Meeting
6. Morning Meeting in Ms. Noonans Fifth Grade Classroom
7. Strengthens Speaking and Listening Skills Teaches
Collaborative Learning Instills Responsibility Provides a Sense of
Community and Positive Environment (Research paper also explored
two case studies) Examples of How Morning Meeting Benefits
Students
8. Students need to learn how to properly communicate in order
to be successful in life Most educators assume that listening is a
matter of choice, not ability, however listening is something
students have to be taught to do well (Smith, 2003, p. 2) Students
practice active listening and speaking in front of a group during
Sharing Speaking and Listening Skills
9. How do teachers use Morning Meeting to help strengthen
students speaking and listening skills? If students are
consistently using incorrect verb endings for questions and
replies, this becomes a mini-lesson, and in subsequent meetings
students are asked to focus on their usage. -LaVan and Pezn (2005),
two teachers at a Spanish immersion school Speaking and Listening
Skills
10. Cynthia Gardner, a fifth grade teacher, sees the positive
effects of a sense of community during her classs science lessons
Skills such as active listening, articulating ideas to others,
reaching consensus, and respecting others' views are vital to
working as a cohesive group and are skills that can be isolated
during Morning Meetings (Gardner 2012). Collaborative Learning
11. As I monitor my student teams during science, I encourage
them to practice the skill we discussed during Morning Meeting. For
example, if students have previously discussed what active
listening looks like, I remind student groups to "show me" active
listening. They might respond by looking at the student speaking or
responding to the speaker. If a student group is examining their
data and having difficulty agreeing, I direct them to our previous
discussion on reaching consensus. Asking, What does reaching
consensus sound like? prompts students to revisit earlier
experiences (Gardner, 2012). Collaborative Learning
12. During Morning Meeting, students are responsible for saying
hello to their peers, asking relevant questions, and helping solve
problems. As the year progresses, the teacher may allow students to
run Morning Meeting all by themselves. We must believe that they
can be trusted and will be successful in meeting the expectations
we hold (Kriete and Bechtel, 2002, p. 23) Responsibility
13. Students form a community during Morning Meeting For
learning to take place, learners must feel safe. Morning Meeting
helps to create a safety zone and maintain a climate of trust,
respect, and belonging (Bondy & Ketts, 2001). Ketts found that
students were willing to help each other academically, due to the
family environment in the classroom A Sense of Community and
Positive Environment
14. While students may view Morning Meeting as a time to hang
out with their peers, sing silly songs, and play games, the
research shows this structured time can help students grow and
develop both socially and academically. Based on the feedback
provided by teachers implementing Morning Meeting and the case
studies discussed, it is evident that Morning Meeting is an
effective aspect of the daily classroom routine. Students become
engaged in the school environment from the onset of the day. With
every Morning Meeting students and teacher start on the same level,
sitting on the floor in a circle, and are able to begin the day
together. Conclusion