Morning Meeting: A Course in Creating Thoughtful Daily Discourse

A Course Overview: Why is thoughtful discourse important in your classroom?

In this technological age, it is more important than ever that teachers directly instruct students in communication skills and strategies for engaging in class discussions. Student have to be explicitly taught how to speak to each other directly and practice expressing their feelings concisely and thoughtfully. Students also need to be shown how to engage with differing viewpoints and opinions. This not only creates a positive classroom community, it also gives students an outlet to voice their feelings, opinions, and concerns.

Needs Assessment: How can morning meeting help you?

You should consider incorporating morning meeting into your classroom routines if...

• You'd like your classroom culture to be one of open communication and free sharing, for both your introverted and extroverted students.
• Your students have recurring conflicts you'd like to use as "teachable moments" on how to have productive dialogue.
• You want to add in a socio-emotional component to your morning routine.
• You want to learn how to foster positive discussions within your classroom.

Objectives: What will you learn in this course?

• Understand what morning meeting is and the four main parts that go into creating a morning meeting.
• Explain why implementing morning meeting can be helpful tool in creating a strong sense of community and address students' socio-emotional needs.
• Provide resources to help plan and implement morning meeting within the classroom.