Strong morning routines = the basis for the day! Anyone else ever unprepared in the morning and then realize they just set the tone for the entire day? Well, you aren’t alone! You guys, your morning routine is one of the most important times of the day that needs to be organized & with clear expectations set. Otherwise, you are setting your day up for failure because your students can sense the disorganization. I wanted to share a few tips that I have learned over the years to keep my morning’s running smooth!
1. Greet EVERY child
This is seriously a non- negotiable! Stand at the door & greet each child when they come in. Listen to their stories, smile at them and say their NAME! One year I had a student say, “Mrs. Wasik, I love how you say good morning and goodbye to everyone each d AND say everyone’s names. You don’t just say the words, you say it to us.” I mean, if a 3rd grader can recognize how important this is, then you should be doing this! Your students need to know that you are excited to see them each and every day. We will never know what kind of morning they had before school and a simple smile & “good morning _______” could change their entire day around!
2. Give them CHOICE
Choice. That can be a scary word, especially in the morning when the energy level of your students is unpredictable. But, can you honestly say that you go to work each morning, put your things away without having at least one conversation with those around you? Who wants to get to work/school and work silently? Not me, and definitely not children. Give them choice in what they work on or do in the morning. It gives them ownership over their learning and what they feel like working on that morning.
Choice can look so many different ways! One year my students journaled each morning and got to choose what they wrote about. Another year my students literally had a choice of what they did: STEM bins, free writing, reading, drawing, etc. Choice is going to look different in each classroom based on your students. What works for your class one year, may not work for your group the next year. That is just how teaching is!
This year my morning choice is a choice board. I have created Monthly SeeSaw C for my students to complete each month. They are all digital therefore not much prep, just importing my documents onto our Schoology page and initially teaching my students how to complete using Pic Collage at the beginning of the year. At the start of each month, my students receive their choice board. It contains different reading, writing, current events, STEM & miscellaneous activities each month. They are able to watch videos & reflect, create, read, write & be creative so early in the morning! 🙂
Want to give it a try in your classroom? If you want the Seesaw Challenges for each month, head to my TPT store & grab it there! Morning work/early finisher work ready for you for an entire month!
3. Set Clear Expectations
Yes, there can still be to your morning even if your students have ! It takes a while for my students to become independent workers at the beginning of the year but with consistent expectations, modeling & reminders, they get the hang of it and our mornings are calm & structured. You will notice that some students are working together, some are working independently and some are quietly talking but they know their limits & expecrtations!
4. Calm Lighting & Music Playing
Each morning our classroom lights are turned down where the lamps, natural light from our windows & the Smartboard are what light our classroom. This creates a sense of calm for my students as they walk in. They also hear quiet, instrumental music playing throughout our room. They know that their voice level should not get loud enough where we can’t hear the music. I find my music on YouTube or Spotify and mix it up each day!
Most of the time in our classroom when we need a quiet environment, the lights are low and instrumental music is playing so this is a cue for my students. It is a great reminder for them to keep their voices low, without me having to remind them. I also find that many of my students can be overstimulated by bright lights and loud noises in the morning, therefore not creating a welcoming environment for all students. I know that this isn’t everyone’s style, and that is okay! But this is one thing that works for me!
5. Morning Message
We all have them, but do ALL of our kids read them? Haha…I know the answer to this question in my classroom is NO! I always have a morning message on my Smartboard that:
- Greets my students with a positive note
- Contains their To Do list
- Gives them any information that they will need for our day
- Reminds them of our class goal that we set for the week
- Informs them of what they will be expected to share at our morning meeting
To spice things up every once in awhile I will throw on a meme, riddle or my to grab their attention! To catch who actually is reading my morning message, I will randomly put a secret word or secret note that requires my students to come and find me to deliver a message, answer a question, etc. If they do, I will give them a special treat, classroom ticket or just a high five! They love to keep the secret from others and watch who is reading the message! 🙂 This morning message template comes from my Morning Meeting resource on TPT.
How do you structure your mornings? Let me know what works in your classroom below! Happy Teaching! 🙂