In my experience, it's true that the first five minutes of a class sets the tone for the entire day. It can either be chaotic, loud, and messy; or calm, quiet, and organized. Establishing a successful morning routine during the back-to-school season can help ensure your students are ready to learn from the get go. Here are 3 ways to make your classroom morning routine a success and why it's important to establish one.
1. Foster Independence A strong morning routine includes consistency, clear expectations, and procedures that foster independence. By the time students reach upper elementary, they should be well-versed in unloading backpacks, turning in homework, gathering supplies, and getting started on a task right away. The keyword there is should. However, our students are social creatures, and will take any opportunity with friends to socialize, so make sure procedures are modeled, rehearsed, and revisited often; especially in those first few weeks of school. Trust me, taking the time to practice procedures such as how to enter a classroom quietly, where to put homework and notes from home, and collecting absent work after one returns are important tasks you will want your students to master early on so you are able to attend to the million other tasks that can arise in those first few minutes of the day. Two books I refer to before the start of each school year in regards to setting up procedures that foster independence in my students are Harry Wong's First Days of School, and Todd Whitaker's Your First Year. Help your classroom run like a well oiled machine by establishing steps for your students to follow each day that will allow you to focus on other tasks before your instruction begins. Grab a copy of the checklist I've used to cover the most common routines and procedures that need introduced below. 2. Strengthen Time Management Skills A second task in creating a successful morning routine is to build strong time management skills in your students. While some students will be ready to start the day in under five minutes, others may find detours and under utilize precious time getting ready. One way to combat this is to have a posted schedule for the day with the beginning times of each subject. However, if a child is unable to read an analog clock which seem to still linger in most classrooms rather than digital, this may not be beneficial. Another option is to use countdown timers. These visual cues can help students manage their paces with regards to unpacking, getting supplies ready, and beginning their first tasks in the morning. Check out my Motivational Morning Messages below. Not only do they include countdown timers for visual cues, they also offer a positive message for your students so they feel encouraged from the start. 3. Create a Welcoming Classroom Thirdly, creating a welcoming, inclusive, safe classroom for your students is another way to make your morning routine a success. When your students are eager to enter the room because they feel welcome and part of a family, they will be more willing to work towards the tasks or expectations set before them. If kids are dragging their feet because they don't feel welcome in your room, it will make the morning routine a drudgery, not an invite. Below you will find suggested reads to help create a more positive, welcoming classroom environment. These diverse reads include themes of friendship, inclusion, respect, and perseverance.  1. Drita, My Homegirl by Jenny Lombard is the classic immigrant story of trying to fit in when you don't know the customs or speak the language of your new place. This chapter book is a story of overcoming obstacles and building friendships, even in the most unlikely ways. 2. Emmanuel's Dream by Laurie Thompson is a true story of a Ghanaian boy with a crippled leg whose motto is, "disability is not inability". A story about overcoming obstacles and perseverance, Emmanuel doesn't let the cruel taunting of his classmates slow him down. 3. First Day In Grapes by L.K. Perez is a story of a courageous boy named Chico who must endure changing schools every year due to his father's job in the fields. When he is bullied for being the new kid who speaks little English, he uses the math skills he learned from harvest time to overcome their attacks. This tale will open up discussions on bullying, self-esteem, conflict resolution, and respect. 4. Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! by Sarah Kapit is a story of determination by an autistic girl named Vivy that would do anything to be on a real baseball team. Told through a series of letters between Vivy and her favorite Major League player, Vivy must work extra hard and persevere if she wants to stay on the team. 5. One Green Apple by Eve Bunting uses the unlikely setting of an apple orchard to help a young Muslim immigrant girl that feels alone because she does not speak the new language or wear the same clothes, realize that some things are the same no matter where you are. 6. The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsburg is a bit of a twisted fantasy about a dentist that is paid in magical figs by one of his patients that are supposed to make his dreams come true. He tries to control his dreams so he can become the richest man in the world. His dog Marcel teaches him a valuable lesson about what can happen when one does not treat others with respect. With a surprise ending, this book can lead to great discussions about how classmates should treat one another, as well as greed and empathy. I hope you have found these suggestions for making your classroom morning routine a success helpful. Encouraging your students to become more independent, better time managers, and cultivating a positive learning environment will certainly help make that happen. -Happy teaching! If you'd like to refer to this post later, feel free to pin the following images.  Note: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links which help maintain this website at no cost to you. |
