During September, I spent time in each classroom attending their morning meetings. Read on for more!
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING
The Power of the Morning Meeting: 5 Steps Toward Changing Your Classroom and School Culture
By Lisa Dabbs
September 18, 2013
Photo Credit: Tasha Cowdy
"The whole morning meeting not only sets a really good tone for the students, but it sets a tone for me." - Teacher in Louisville, Kentucky
When I first learned about the Morning Meeting model, I was working as an elementary school principal in Pasadena, California. I was new to that school, so I was skeptical about launching too many initiatives, but also curious about how it could work to transform my school and the lives of our students.
The Morning Meeting was first proposed to me by a new teacher who had studied it in her pre-service classes. She explained that the model was designed to:
- Set the tone for respectful learning
- Establish a climate of trust
- Motivate students to feel significant
- Create empathy and encourage collaboration
- Support social, emotional and academic learning
She had me at "respectful learning!"
You see, I'd come to a school that was in a bit of trouble. Kids were struggling with behavior issues outside of class, teachers were finding ways to remove kids fromtheir class, and it was clear that I needed to put my faith in something that I believed could improve the culture and climate of the school. I knew that I had some serious work ahead of me if I was going to build a positive sense of community. So I worked with a small team of teachers to launch the Morning Meeting -- and was thrilled with how it spread like wildfire across our campus.
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