Study Break: 'A consistent and positive morning routine is crucial'
Name: Elizabeth Sanders
School: Riverview Charter School
Grade: First
Years teaching: 8
What is your morning routine?
A consistent and positive morning routine is crucial in setting the mood of the day, especially for first-graders. I greet my students individually with a cheerful salutation as they enter the classroom. The dim lighting and classical music playing in the background creates a warm and peaceful environment, which encourages a calmness among the students. Students unpack their folders and guided reading books, make their lunch choices on the Smartboard, and sit down at their tables to practice calendar/math skills using a dry-erase board.
Once everyone has arrived, we quietly listen to morning announcements, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Immediately following the pledge, my students recite a short motto that can be heard repeatedly throughout the day, no matter what we might be working on: "Those who always do their best are a great success!" I learned this simple saying from one of my mentor teachers during my student teaching at Clemson University. Students from my very first class tell me that they still remember starting their day with this motivational tradition.
The most important part of our morning routine is our morning meeting. Every class starts their day by gathering on the carpet and having each student greet one another ... and share on any topic or event that allows students to offer empathetic comments, a cooperative group activity to cultivate camaraderie, and a morning message to help students focus on our goals for the day.
Follow reporter Amy Coyne Bredeson at twitter.com/IPBG_Amy.
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This story was originally published September 14, 2014 at 4:01 PM with the headline "Study Break: 'A consistent and positive morning routine is crucial'."