A Peek into Lower School Morning Meeting!
How do you get a classroom filled with eager and enthusiastic learners centered and aligned for the day ahead? The answer is Morning Meeting! This daily ritual in the Lower School cultivates the thinking culture a class of gifted learners needs to spark intellectual curiosity, deepen self-understanding, and recognize how each person contributes to the community. From the "song of the week" that shares inspiring lyrics to "puzzlements" that invite noticing and wondering to games that strengthen collaboration, Speyer teachers guide powerful morning minutes that set the tone for the day’s learning.
Underneath the surface of the intellectual engagement, students are also practicing vital life skills like active listening, public speaking, and valuing multiple perspectives. Morning Meeting builds habits of empathy, focus, and connection that carry far beyond the classroom.
We recently took a peek into a few Morning Meetings! On the morning we visited Second Grade, "Thank You for Being a Friend" wafted through the air as they took to the rug and answered their daily survey question ("Have you ever been to Coney Island?" prompted a lively discussion)! Meanwhile, as described above, Morning Meeting in First Grade helps the students settle into the day rather than jumping right into an academic task. They review the calendar and schedule, read the morning message and talk about the fact of the day, and greet each other around the rug (we heard "Namaste" from all of them when we popped by)! One of the jobs in First Grade is being the Morning Meeting helper who was quite adept at keeping this important first part of the day moving along.
Third Grade begins the day with morning work or morning skills and then transitions to the carpet for Morning Meeting. The itinerary for their Morning Meetings varies day to day and sometimes even by class, yet every morning they read a morning message (which sometimes has intentional errors they must find in order to teach grammar/writing skills). They review the day ahead, pointing out any key moments students need to know about. Similar to the other grades, Third Grade's Morning Meeting is an important time to set the tone for the day and an essential way they build community within the class.
Who wouldn't want to have a little time in the morning to settle into the day? We love this intentional and meaningful way our teachers set our Lower School students up for success each and every day!
