I like to think of our morning meeting as another circle time. (I really should be calling it group time, as our circle is now more like an oval.) Two summers ago I took an online class from Fairy Dust Teaching and was intrigued by a photo of a classroom that used small wooden stools for the children to sit on during group time. I shared it with my staff and they were in love with the idea. We presented the idea to our committee and they loved them, too. The parents pay for part of the stool and fundraising covers the rest. Each child has her own stool that stays with her the entire time she is at our preschool. When she graduates, she takes the stool home as a keepsake of her preschool years. Before we open the doors to greet our preschoolers, we set out the stools on our group time carpet and place their name sticks on top. We place a basket of books in the middle.
They then get a book from the basket to look at while waiting for their classmates to arrive. Let me compare this to how it used to be. The preschoolers would arrive and we’d immediately start centers time. There would be a mix of energy and there was not near as much focus as there is now. I didn’t realize this until we implemented our morning meeting. What now happens is that even if a child arrives full of energy (and it happens every single day), when they walk into the doorway, they find a calm environment.
We then sing our good morning song. (Tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It) Each day we have a class helper. That child’s name is placed on a pocket chart at the entrance of our classroom. A teacher will hold up the child’s name and call out each letter until someone figures out who it is. Good morning, good morning, how are you? It’s such a special day, I’m glad you came to learn and play! Good morning, good morning, how are you?
We might demonstrate something that is related to that week’s theme.
We will pass items around to touch and explore.
All of these tie into that week’s theme, making what we will be doing that day more meaningful.
Do you have a morning meeting?
Tips for Dealing with Separation Anxiety Choosing Themes for Your Classroom I have helped create each of these packets, along with a team of talented educators and homeschoolers. Easy to follow activity plans include activity modifications and adaptations to meet the needs of all learners. Every theme comes with recommended reading lists, songs, material lists, and more. Click on the graphics below for more details. Toddlers (18 – 36 months):
Preschool (3 – 5 Years):
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