Morning Meetings
About two years ago I joined a school that did this thing called, morning meetings. Now you may say come on that's what you should always be doing. In the last 14 years I would just jump right in and start working. Well morning meetings have changed the whole feeling of my classroom. Each day we start with a positive message or quote that we focuse on for that day. We then just do a few minutes of small talk or stories about things going on in our lives. This is my students favorite part. I tell them stories about my two boys and they just cant wait for those stories. Morning Meeting is a powerful way to start the day. It meets students’ needs for belonging, significance, and fun; provides students with an opportunity to practice social and emotional skills; and prepares students for the days’ learning.
The Responsive Classroom
https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/category/morning-meeting/
Responsive Classroom is an evidence-based approach to elementary and middle school teaching that focuses on the strong link between academic success and social-emotional learning (SEL).
Improve: Two students go to the center of the circle and start acting out a simple scene, such as eating at a restaurant, doing homework together at school, etc. At any point, someone from the circle can call out “freeze”. The two people freeze while the person who called out goes into the center and takes the place of one of the actors by putting his/her body in the exact same position. The two in the center now act out a different scene that makes sense for the positions that they are starting in.
Incorporations In this activity, students will form and reform groups as quickly as possible. The leader hits a gong or rings a bell and then gives directions for forming groups, such as “Get into groups of three”. The leader hits the gong again and gives a different direction: “Get into groups where everyone is wearing something the same color”. The activity moves very quickly.
Group Juggling (middle, upper) The children gather in a circle. One child holds a soft sponge ball or Hackey Sack. He throws it to a second child, who throws it to the third. The ball is passed to each child in the group, until the last child throws it back to the first child. This child starts the “group juggle” all over again. After a few rounds, add another ball to the group and then a third. It can get quite challenging. Remember, that each child always throws each and every ball to the same person she threw to in the first round.
Follow the Leader The teacher, or a designated class “leader”, performs a series of motions, goes on a walk to explore some area of the school (such as around the boundaries of the play yard or through the halls of the school), or simply makes different faces or hand motions. The children imitate and “follow” the leader.
Giants, Wizards and Elves (middle, upper) “Giants, Wizards and Elves” is a variation on “Rock, Paper, Scissors” but is much more active. There are two teams and a playing field about forty feet long with a marked centerline. Each team agrees on a posture representing a giant, a wizard and an elf and shows these postures to the other team. Each team huddles and decides which creature it will be. Teams come to the centerline and, at the count of three, assume the chosen posture and say the creature’s name. Wizard’s fool giants, giants beat elves; eves trick wizards. Whoever loses has to run back to their safety, which is about twenty feet away from the centerline,before the other team catches them. Those caught become part of the other team. Grandmother’s Trunk The teacher begins by saying, “I am going on a trip, and I need to pack my grandmother’s trunk.” The first child then says what he/she will pack in the trunk. For example, “I am going on a trip, and I am taking a bike.” Each child in the group then adds one item to the trunk, after repeating in order what is already packed in the trunk. “I am going on a trip and I am taking my bike, my sneakers, my Yankee’s hat, and my toothbrush,” and so on, until all the children have had a turn.
Find a Place All the children silently think of a place in the room. As the teacher counts from one to five, each student walks to the place that he/she thought of. The teacher counts from one to five again and each student walks to a new place before the teacher reaches five. Then students return to their first place, hopping on one foot, while the teacher counts to five. Students next return to their second place, hoping on one foot while the teacher counts to five. The class can continue varying the movements – for example, skipping, walking backwards, jumping like a frog, etc. Older children can do this activity using three or four places.
Nonverbal Birthday Lineup Challenge the children to line up according to their month and day of birth, without any talking.
Freeze Game (primary, middle, upper) Teachers use the “Freeze Game” to give children practice on freezing when a bell or other signal is sounded. The teacher invites the children to chat and move around the room. He/She then raises a hand, or rings a bell to signal that children should freeze. The teacher then counts to see how long it takes all the children to stop their bodies, look at him/her and be quiet. The class is challenged to lower their time or perhaps break a previous record.
Gesture Name Game Children stand in a circle. Each child says his/her name while making a gesture for each syllable in the name. For example, Jill Bishop might clap her hands for “Jill” and snap the fingers of first the right hand and then the left hand for “Bishop”. The group then repeats her name and her gestures. The activity continues around the circle.
Human Camera (middle, upper) One partner is led blindfolded by the other to a spot. The leading partner focuses the blindfolded partner on a particular scene, such as flower or landscape and then briefly removes the blindfold so the partner can view the picture (“take the photo”). The blindfold is then replaced. Each partner may take several photos. At the end of each round, partners discuss the experience and share their impressions of the pictures taken.
Caught Red-Handed For this activity, you’ll need two or three (or more) small objects that can be easily passed around the circle, behind children’s backs. One person stands in the middle of the circle and closes his/her eyes for a moment. Children who are in the circle begin to pass the objects behind their backs, as sneakily as possible. They also pretend to pass objects so that at all times students are either passing an object or faking a pass. The person in the middle opens his/her eyes and tries to figure out where the objects are in the circle. The person has three guesses, which should be made quickly.
Variation: Place a ring on a string that is long enough to go all the way around the inside of the circle. Children hold the string with both hands and pass the ring or pretend to pass the ring to each other while the child in the middle tries to guess who has the ring.
Fruit Game Each person in the circle names a piece of fruit, with no repeats. Then, covering teeth with lips, one child says his/her own fruit followed by another child’s fruit – for example, “apple, mango”. The child who initially named “mango” goes next, attempting to say “mango” plus the name of yet another child’s fruit without showing any teeth, and so on. It is very difficult for children not to laugh and show their teeth in this activity. Students who do show their teeth simply stop saying anything and just watch the action, which is almost as much fun. The activity has no definitive end; you may want to start with a time limit so that it doesn’t go on too long. In addition, to being a lot of fun, this activity reinforces listening skills.
The Responsive Classroom
https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/category/morning-meeting/
Responsive Classroom is an evidence-based approach to elementary and middle school teaching that focuses on the strong link between academic success and social-emotional learning (SEL).
Improve: Two students go to the center of the circle and start acting out a simple scene, such as eating at a restaurant, doing homework together at school, etc. At any point, someone from the circle can call out “freeze”. The two people freeze while the person who called out goes into the center and takes the place of one of the actors by putting his/her body in the exact same position. The two in the center now act out a different scene that makes sense for the positions that they are starting in.
Incorporations In this activity, students will form and reform groups as quickly as possible. The leader hits a gong or rings a bell and then gives directions for forming groups, such as “Get into groups of three”. The leader hits the gong again and gives a different direction: “Get into groups where everyone is wearing something the same color”. The activity moves very quickly.
Group Juggling (middle, upper) The children gather in a circle. One child holds a soft sponge ball or Hackey Sack. He throws it to a second child, who throws it to the third. The ball is passed to each child in the group, until the last child throws it back to the first child. This child starts the “group juggle” all over again. After a few rounds, add another ball to the group and then a third. It can get quite challenging. Remember, that each child always throws each and every ball to the same person she threw to in the first round.
Follow the Leader The teacher, or a designated class “leader”, performs a series of motions, goes on a walk to explore some area of the school (such as around the boundaries of the play yard or through the halls of the school), or simply makes different faces or hand motions. The children imitate and “follow” the leader.
Giants, Wizards and Elves (middle, upper) “Giants, Wizards and Elves” is a variation on “Rock, Paper, Scissors” but is much more active. There are two teams and a playing field about forty feet long with a marked centerline. Each team agrees on a posture representing a giant, a wizard and an elf and shows these postures to the other team. Each team huddles and decides which creature it will be. Teams come to the centerline and, at the count of three, assume the chosen posture and say the creature’s name. Wizard’s fool giants, giants beat elves; eves trick wizards. Whoever loses has to run back to their safety, which is about twenty feet away from the centerline,before the other team catches them. Those caught become part of the other team. Grandmother’s Trunk The teacher begins by saying, “I am going on a trip, and I need to pack my grandmother’s trunk.” The first child then says what he/she will pack in the trunk. For example, “I am going on a trip, and I am taking a bike.” Each child in the group then adds one item to the trunk, after repeating in order what is already packed in the trunk. “I am going on a trip and I am taking my bike, my sneakers, my Yankee’s hat, and my toothbrush,” and so on, until all the children have had a turn.
Find a Place All the children silently think of a place in the room. As the teacher counts from one to five, each student walks to the place that he/she thought of. The teacher counts from one to five again and each student walks to a new place before the teacher reaches five. Then students return to their first place, hopping on one foot, while the teacher counts to five. Students next return to their second place, hoping on one foot while the teacher counts to five. The class can continue varying the movements – for example, skipping, walking backwards, jumping like a frog, etc. Older children can do this activity using three or four places.
Nonverbal Birthday Lineup Challenge the children to line up according to their month and day of birth, without any talking.
Freeze Game (primary, middle, upper) Teachers use the “Freeze Game” to give children practice on freezing when a bell or other signal is sounded. The teacher invites the children to chat and move around the room. He/She then raises a hand, or rings a bell to signal that children should freeze. The teacher then counts to see how long it takes all the children to stop their bodies, look at him/her and be quiet. The class is challenged to lower their time or perhaps break a previous record.
Gesture Name Game Children stand in a circle. Each child says his/her name while making a gesture for each syllable in the name. For example, Jill Bishop might clap her hands for “Jill” and snap the fingers of first the right hand and then the left hand for “Bishop”. The group then repeats her name and her gestures. The activity continues around the circle.
Human Camera (middle, upper) One partner is led blindfolded by the other to a spot. The leading partner focuses the blindfolded partner on a particular scene, such as flower or landscape and then briefly removes the blindfold so the partner can view the picture (“take the photo”). The blindfold is then replaced. Each partner may take several photos. At the end of each round, partners discuss the experience and share their impressions of the pictures taken.
Caught Red-Handed For this activity, you’ll need two or three (or more) small objects that can be easily passed around the circle, behind children’s backs. One person stands in the middle of the circle and closes his/her eyes for a moment. Children who are in the circle begin to pass the objects behind their backs, as sneakily as possible. They also pretend to pass objects so that at all times students are either passing an object or faking a pass. The person in the middle opens his/her eyes and tries to figure out where the objects are in the circle. The person has three guesses, which should be made quickly.
Variation: Place a ring on a string that is long enough to go all the way around the inside of the circle. Children hold the string with both hands and pass the ring or pretend to pass the ring to each other while the child in the middle tries to guess who has the ring.
Fruit Game Each person in the circle names a piece of fruit, with no repeats. Then, covering teeth with lips, one child says his/her own fruit followed by another child’s fruit – for example, “apple, mango”. The child who initially named “mango” goes next, attempting to say “mango” plus the name of yet another child’s fruit without showing any teeth, and so on. It is very difficult for children not to laugh and show their teeth in this activity. Students who do show their teeth simply stop saying anything and just watch the action, which is almost as much fun. The activity has no definitive end; you may want to start with a time limit so that it doesn’t go on too long. In addition, to being a lot of fun, this activity reinforces listening skills.
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