Description: A daily Morning Meeting is an opportunity for students to build caring relationships with their peers and teachers, to actively participate and practice social and emotional skills through engaging activities, and to feel valued and connected to the school community. During Morning Meeting, students will learn to greet and speak to each other respectfully, listen attentively and respond with empathy, and approach interpersonal conflicts calmly and assertively. These skills are essential for academic achievement as well success in college and professional settings. When students begin their day with a Morning Meeting, they feel welcomed and recognized for making a positive contribution to the group. This boosts confidence, reinforces positive behavior, and sets the tone for their learning throughout the day.
Research has shown that the positive social atmosphere produced through Morning Meetings improves interactions in the classroom, which leads to higher levels of instructional support (Curby, Rimm-Kaufman, & Abry, 2013). Morning Meetings can strengthen students’ sense of school connectedness, a strong protective factor for youth, by meeting developmental needs such as peer acceptance, a relationship with a caring and supportive adult, and opportunities to demonstrate competence (McNeely, Nonnemaker, & Blum, 2002). Each morning, students will participate in brief activities designed to strengthen their social and emotional skills. Students who participate in social and emotional learning activities have shown significant improvement in academic achievement, social behavior, and attitudes about self, others, and school, and also exhibit fewer conduct problems and less emotional distress (Durlak et al., 2011).
http://www.pathseducation.com/files/docs/cps-morning-meeting-handbook.pdfRationale:- To understand the 4 aspects of morning meeting (greeting, sharing, activity, message) and the ways that teachers can model the specific behavior the want children to imitate.
- To be aware of what the research says about the power of social emotional learning, and specifically the morning meeting model, to increase emotional support and academic success.