Morning Routines
Posted by Sherry McGregor on 13 Jan 2010 | Posted in: Classroom Routines
On my way to work this morning, I was thinking about you—about how you make a difference in your students’ lives each day. Wow. I drive by two elementary schools on my short commute, and I often find myself imagining students’ arrival in each classroom. I picture the children coming in, some with stories they can hardly wait to share, some practically bouncing through the door with extra energy, those quiet ones who light up when you smile at them, and the kids with little black clouds over their heads who will need a little extra attention. Then I picture you reigning in all those needs as you help each child put on his student hat and get to work.
How do you get your students started? Do you have your students go straight to centers? Do you have them read silently? Is there morning work posted on the board? I used to have my class read independently. It took a while to train some students to take advantage of this gentle beginning, and there always were a couple students who struggled to settle in and read. But it was my favorite way to start the day, and I think, eventually, my students loved it too.
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I teach in a preschool classroom (4-5 years old). When the students arrive, I am waiting by the door, greeting each one as they come in. They hang their coats and bags, and then go find their name to put in the apple chart, so we know they are at school that day. After they find their name, they wash their hands.Then they go to the sign in table. Each of their names is laminated on a nameplate, and they trace over their fist and last name with a wet-erase marker, and put it into the basket when they are done. When they are done with those tasks, they get a book or a puzzle to do on the carpet, until all (or most) of the students have arrived, and then we have circle time. It works great because they know the routine, and it keeps them busy and out of trouble.
I vary my morning work, but never the actual routine. On Mondays, we have a spelling pretest and on Fridays we have our post test. Any student who gets a 100% on their basic words on Monday gets to use the same 100% paper for Friday when I give the challenge words and sentences.
Every other day I have morning work on my stool for them. One of the activities that my students ask for is what I call the “Equation Station.” I made a template using my Smart Board software that has four squares on it. At the top, I have “Our number is…” in which I put our number for the day. Then in the boxes I put prompts such as “How can we get our number using addition/subtraction?” or “How can we write our number in expanded form?” or “How can we make that number using coins/bills?”
I have them write their answers on a half-sheet of paper and then check our answers together after everyone is done. I usually base my questions on what we are working on that week. So if we are talking about borrowing across zeros, I have at least one problem where my students have to use that skill.
My students have morning work on their desks when they arrive. I always assign 2 students as morning work checkers. I model checking morning work in the beginning of the year. They take over in late October. I switch every 2 days so that students are exposed to the morning work each week, but I don’t have to remember to switch everyday. Students love playing teacher, helping others to complete their work, and using stamps to check classmates’ work!
I am going to try the pass word and the bunny idea and very excited…lol My kiddos will love them!
Everyday I greet my prek (3 to 5 year olds)students with a happy smile!
Some students look as if they need a hug so I ask to give them a hug. I run back and forth from the cubbies and the door to help my little ones take off their coats and then they wash their hands.
I use a sign in sheet to sign them in and the time.
In the bottom of their cubby is “their magic note book”. The first student in the door gets to pick out what they are going to write with choices are chalk, colored pencils, crayons, markers. Then they are to draw what ever they want. On sticker Thursday I give them a sticker and write what they tell me they drew but for the older students i encourage them to write their names or copy a word before they get their sticker.
While we are doing all this my assistant checks backpacks for lending library books.
We choose helper jobs,do a flag poem, i have two teacher helpers go over some letters or a song . Then the teacher helpers call their friends to wash their hands for breakfast.
I also have books of course if they do not feel like writing but the stickers really encourage them. SOme of my students take their page home for the day. Especially when i draw a smile, heart or star on top!
I teach 3rd grade. Our whole elementary school starts out with SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) for 15 minutes after the announcements. Every student is to be in their seat or sitting around the room reading….NO TALKING NO WALKING AROUND. I love this routine.
I teach 5th grade. When my students arrive, I have fun music playing. Students come in. Some will give me a hug, some have the most exciting story they have ever heard to tell, some will greet me, and some just make eye contact. I make sure that I individually greet each student. They put their things away, and then go to their seats.
When students sit down, I have “Morning Meeting,” work. Basically, I have 8 questions, 2 questions per subject. Students work on that while I do my attendance, lunch, etc. After 10-13 minutes, we come together as a group and discuss our work. We also discuss important things to come, and issues they hear in the news. I have been doing this routine for 2 years. I love it! I get to do more review, which is proven for memory retention, and I get to know my students better.
I teach in an all day PreK classroom. I start the day by greeting each of my students as the enter the room. They hang their coats and bags in their cubbies. Then drop their communication log in the basket. Next they put their crayon marker under their lunch choice before heading to the sign in table, where they practice writing their names on their own card. If they still have time then they have the opportunity to choose a book to look at in the library area or they can use the magnet letters/word whammer to create words.
We start our day at 8am and end at 2:20pm, so this gives the students 10-15 minutes to get unpacked and ready for the day without being rushed. This also allows me the time to get the attendance and lunch count ready for the office helpers to take to the office.
My students straggle in so we do centers for the first thirty minutes while they finish breakfast. I greet them with a hug and a book. They can choose a center or the reading corner until formal conference.
I am only a second year teacher, so I am always looking for new ideas! I also have a secret password that my students have to say in order to get in the room and leave the classroom. I call it my secret purple password (the words are on a purple laminated piece of paper). I teach kindergarten, so I call my sight words, popcorn words, because they are supposed to “pop up” in your brain. When my students arrive, they put their Communication Folder in their mailbox, hang up their backpacks, jackets, etc., in their cubbies and then vote for lunch. Each students’ name is on a race car (our school theme is “Team”) and they put their car under their lunch choice. I have morning work on the students tables when they come in. Their morning work has to do with the letter that we are working on and/or practice writing their numbers. If a student finishes early, they have plenty to work on in their seat pockets. I let them keep a number chart, an ABC chart, number cards and their “popcorn” words (which are in a pencil case written on index cards) in their seat pockets. They don’t have an excuse that they don’t have anything to do
Every Friday we send our Bunny mascot home with a different student. In the backback is also books about bunnies, a bunny puzzle, clothes and counting and matching activities. When the student returns on Mondays, we read a journal writing from the family about Bailey Bunny’s adventures over the weekend. The children get very excited and its a good way to encourage connections between home and school. I am a preschool teacher but this activity could work for older kids too. I include an inventory check off list to help get all items back.
Hello! I also greet my students at the door. I take lunch and attendence while waiting for the secretary to do the pledge over the intercom (we say the pledge altogether as an entire school). Then we do calendar activities to ease into our day. I do have a question for Jenny: Can you tell me more about the butterfly, turkey, and firecracker greetings that you do when you greet your students? I love saying a vocab word as a pass word too!!
Morning is my favorite time of my teaching day. I greet my students at the door, as they start their day with some playtime outside. I tell my students that I am happy to see them today because I truly am! The students hang their bags on the hooks outside our room, bring in their homework (if there is any) and our agendas and any notes for me or the office. We sit together on the carpet and do attendance- who is away, I hope they are not sick, we will miss them today and hopefully they are back tomorrow. We do the calendar (saying the days of the week, the months of the year, counting the days of school as I have a number of 100 days of school activities that need to be done daily/weekly and monthly, making a patterns and comparisons), celebrate how many days we have been in school, and finally what we are going to be doing today. We may have show and tell and read a story that gets us started with our day. My morning routine takes about 30 to 40 minutes but really sets the tone for the day and is relaxing and fun yet very educational. To me this is the most important time of the day for my students and for me as a teacher.
I greet my students at the door EVERY day.They are waiting quietly in the hall for me to come to the door with their take home folder in hand. I have an apron that has signs for a :handshake, hug, butterfly, turkey, firecrackers or highfive. They must decide on one greeting they want me to give them. Most of them want a hug
They have their homework out and I check it quickly at the door to see if they did it. I just put a check. I have my morning jobs posted on the screen and a big timer to count down when the bell rings. They must get all jobs done by then. (They are dismissed at 7:50 and bell rings at 8:05) They have plenty of time to: hang back pack, lunch clip, take home reading bag on desk, snack and water up, sharpen pencils and go to the restroom before the timer rings with the bell. If they get all of their jobs done before the bell they are allowed to look at maps, magazines, I spys or any fun read alouds that are in front of the room. They may also talk to their friends. By time everyone is in the door doing thier morning jobs, I walk around and get them going to the carpet. When the bell rings we have the pledge and I start my morning meeting with a fun song, greeting each others. We sit in a circle this is when I go over social skills, reminders or any homekeeping things. My kids love morning meeting! They really feel like they belong when you have it every single day!
When my students arrive, I try to greet each one with joy and enthusiasm and have cheerful music playing. Then they put their backpacks in their cubbies and hang up their coats. Students can choose between two fine motor activities, using scissors to cut scraps of colored paper or coloring. They may also engage in free play, if they choose, until 8:00 when we begin our day with circle time.
I always start out having the students write down their agenda for the day. Soon as they are finished, they have a writing prompt that I have put on the board. Immediately, I check their agendas to see if they have written all the daily work down and also to see if their parents have signed the agenda the day before. Students always know what is expected of them and they get busy right away.
Wow - I love the idea of having the students say a password (which is a vocabulary word) in order to enter the room. Neat!
I teach pre-k in a public school, and school begins at 7:30 a.m. However, pre-k breakfast isn’t served until 8:15, so very few parents bring their students on time. I have 45 minutes where the students straggle in, so I am unable to teach a structured lesson. I put math activities out on the tables each morning so that the students can work on them as they arrive. It gives me a chance to work one-on-one with those who need extra help before everyone arrives.
I work as an assistant principal at a school that is 100% free and reduced lunch which usually means high need students. Our school day seems so short 8-2:15 so the teachers begin right at 8:00 with the days learning. I think that it might be more advantagous if the students were given 5-10 minutes of quiet reading time before the lesson begins. The teachers are trying to teach and take roll. What do you think about starting right away with lessons versus a few mins. of quiet time to get ready to learn?
My students say a password (one of our vocabulary words)to enter, then unpack and hand in homework. I usually have a math activity waiting for them. Some students leave right away for AIS, so we always start Math class by completing the Morning work math activity together so no one gets left out. I try to start everyday the same way so that everyone feels part of our class.
When my students arrive I usually have them unpack, hand in their homework,copy their homework assignments in their assignment book, and then do a handwriting practice worksheet. There never seems to be enough time in the day to practice such a necessary and important skill as handwriting.