Morning Meeting with Ms. Lyle's Crocodiles

Walk into Kate Lyle's third grade classroom in the morning and you will find her students engaged in their Morning Meeting routine. The students are on-task, listening to each other, greeting their classmates, and having a lot of fun!  I have been fortunate to be in a few of Kate's morning meetings and decided to find out the secret to her success.

Mia offered her thoughts on how the Morning Meeting runs each day.  "First, we all sit in a circle.  We start with a greeting.  For example, we can do the backwards name greeting, the ball with a silent rewind greeting, or the formal greeting with a handshake.  Sometimes we share in morning meeting.  Ms. Lyle also picks people to read the morning message and write the date on the Smartboard and to read the daily schedule."

I was in Kate's room this morning for the ball greeting.  Students gently tossed a large inflatable "globe" ball to each other while saying, "Good morning, ______ (insert name)."  Once they caught the ball, they were allowed to share something exciting from Thanksgiving break.  I learned that Ishan went to Florida, Ms. Lyle and Charlie are getting new cars, Nicole went to a movie, and Ben went to the King Tut exhibit with his aunt and cousin.  The students were very excited to share their adventures from the four day vacation. 

Other students chimed in their thoughts about Morning Meeting.  Edan said it's important to do each day because "you know what's happening that day and you get to recognize everyone in your class."  Ben noted that, "Morning meeting lets us start the day as a community."  Kayla commented that, "We get to socialize before we start the day.  My favorite greeting is called Hit the Floor."  I was intrigued, so I asked her to describe this greeting to me.  Hit the Floor is a greeting incorporating a lot of movement.  Students chant, "1, 2, 3, 4, come on _________ (insert name), hit the floor!"  The student who has his/her name called can then go into the center of the circle for a quick dance break.  If the child doesn't want to dance, he/she can hit their hands on the floor.  I definitely want to be in Kate's class the next time they do this greeting!

Finally, I asked Kate her thoughts on the importance of Morning Meeting.  She felt that it was key to do each day because every student feels acknowledged and comfortable in their community. 

Building community is basis for an effective learning environment.  Kate's commitment to the Social Skills curriculum, including the Morning Meeting, enables her students to feel welcomed,  to learn to take risks, and to celebrate each other's unique qualities.  I highly encourage you to visit Ms. Lyle's Crocodiles during one of their Morning Meetings.  You will feel like a part of their community immediately!