Essential Ingredients for a Successful Morning Meeting (Freebie, too!)

I'm not sure if you need to read this but if you're struggling with your Morning Meeting (or don't have one in place) and are frustrated with your kids' lack of social skills, (which might be keeping you from building a strong sense of classroom community) maybe I can offer some tips and tricks that have helped me.

On Tuesday, I'm going to start a series on Morning Meeting and break down my implementation of it step-by-step.

I love Morning Meeting but it wasn't always that way. When I first started, I felt awkward. Clumsy.  There wasn't that easy breezy flow I craved. I struggled for three weeks before I asked a colleague who was such a MAJOR PRO when it came to engaged, purposeful Morning Meetings, if our class could join hers for a few days. That was one of the BEST teaching-related decisions I ever made!

Karen transformed my Morning Meeting, which in turn, truly strengthened not only my classroom community but all aspects of my year: from classroom management to the kids problem-solving skills.

So, if you're not feeling as successful or as comfortable as you hoped or feel like your program is stagnant, I'll give you some quick takeaways that you can implement on the first day of school. (Like joining in with a colleague above!)

Before I start the Morning Meeting series on Tuesday, I hope you download (click on any pic!) a week's worth of meetings now.  I designed this freebie to be used ANYTIME of the year. Then, check back here on Tuesday for the first entry of the series: The Morning Meeting Greeting.

A greeting inspired by this gem from The Office

(What's the secret to getting everyone to share?  Stay-tuned!)

(Is your district telling you to incorporate more ACADEMIC SHARES?  

I have such an easy tip coming your way!)

The message is an editable template that you fill in to personalize it for your class.

UPDATED: Here is the link to Morning Meeting Greetings. 
Do you have friends just starting their teaching journey?  Please share this series with them.  

See you Tuesday!