Some kids come to us in the morning, not ready to learn. Not ready to "do school". They are upset, angry, tired, hungry, frustrated, etc.
Does that surprise you?
Probably not.
What are you doing about it? Morning work? Have students sit at their desks, silently, and watch morning announcements?
Do we expect the students who come to us in a state of mind not conducive to success at school to just, get it together? I would argue the opposite of the "get it together" mindset. We are educators and we educate more than just the academic side of our students lives. We are also responsible for equipping our students to be socially and emotionally resilient. Intentionally. Like, actually TEACHING students how to be mindful of their feelings and what to do when they aren't 100%.
At the elementary school I am fortunate enough to be the Assistant Principal at, we have had some teachers put Morning Circles into place. The first part of these circles is a simple check in. 5 if you are feeling GREAT and 1 if you are feeling terrible and everything else in between.
Here's what we've learned...
Does that surprise you?
Probably not.
What are you doing about it? Morning work? Have students sit at their desks, silently, and watch morning announcements?
Do we expect the students who come to us in a state of mind not conducive to success at school to just, get it together? I would argue the opposite of the "get it together" mindset. We are educators and we educate more than just the academic side of our students lives. We are also responsible for equipping our students to be socially and emotionally resilient. Intentionally. Like, actually TEACHING students how to be mindful of their feelings and what to do when they aren't 100%.
At the elementary school I am fortunate enough to be the Assistant Principal at, we have had some teachers put Morning Circles into place. The first part of these circles is a simple check in. 5 if you are feeling GREAT and 1 if you are feeling terrible and everything else in between.
Here's what we've learned...
- A teacher has told me how surprised she was that so many of her students were "so low" in the morning. She even said, "How can I expect them to do math when they feel like that?". She's changed the way she interacts with students in the morning and her class culture has thrived because of it.
- Students have told me that they find out which classmates aren't feeling so hot in the morning and they can intervene or be more sensitive when talking with them. Also, it helps to know you aren't the only one having a bad morning.
There's more to learn from basic morning check-ins, but I will challenge you to see for yourself. Be intentional about checking in with your students in the morning. Their answers might surprise you.
Need some ideas on questions to ask or how to get this whole thing started? Check out this link!
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