As the discussion began of which tasks the student teacher would be implementing, the first to come to mind was our daily morning meeting.
Morning meeting provides a context for exploration and practice of a wide range of skills. These skills often cross subject areas. The safety net of morning meeting is a wonderful way for students to use their voices, assume leadership roles and receive instant feedback. Additionally, it can be an unobtrusive way for teachers to gather anecdotal formative assessment data.
Morning meeting looks different in each classroom and should with time evolve into a student lead/centered routine.
Here is one example of what you might witness at a second grade morning meeting:
Student leader
begins the meeting by filling in the various charts as independently as possible
with supports available as needed.
Discussion & opportunities for question & answers are initiated
and subsequently guided by the teacher as needed.
1. Review of calendar and related
activities.
2. Exploration of money & values.
3. Place value charts, calculating &
displaying # of days in school
4. Hundreds chart exploration
5. Temperature
6. Review of Language posters & poetry
*Note: each week the teacher provides guiding questions to focus the conversations on areas of need & current subject matter being introduced. Activities are periodically
added to morning meeting to provide opportunities for a transition from basic to complex
application of skills.
What does this look like in a classroom?
Let's take a peek into some K-2 classes...
A lesson plan for morning meeting typically looks like a unit plan, because it allows for growth. A sample lesson plan can be downloaded for free via wikispaces.
Special shout out to Mrs. Leonard, Ms. Norman, and Mrs. Coffman. Thank you as always for your willingness to share your classrooms.
Other Resources:
Example of 3-5 Morning Meeting
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/classroom-morning-meeting
Number Sense Routines by Jessica Schumway
