Morning Meetings: Introduction
If you are interested in learning how to develop class meetings with a purpose and no pressure, contact Wendy. wendy@the5needs.com
What are Morning Meetings? While training to be a trainer with the Olweus Bully Prevention Program I saw Morning Meetings in action and the value they held. From that experience, I realized how useful using The 5 Needs in Life as a foundation for Morning Meetings could be and began creating materials for this purpose. Morning Meetings are a time to set the tone for the day, a time to reflect briefly, get to know students, plant seeds, and help connect on a different level with students. Some teachers do meetings like this after lunch. Some do it at the end of the day. Anytime is good if the time is set aside and done on a regular basis.
That said….
It seems that teachers are often asked to do so much more than is humanly possible. Teachers care deeply about their students; they often call them “their children” while they have them in their care for the year. Students can build a bond with a teacher that lasts a lifetime. How often do we hear stories about “that one teacher” who helped them, understood them, and taught them far beyond what the books said to teach?
Teachers model life. Teachers sometimes substitute parents for children who need that for a variety of reasons. Teachers are role models, often supporting parents, and unraveling the system for them to help their children receive the services they may need academically or emotionally. Teachers also become social workers, and counselors at times. Teachers go above and beyond, time and time again. The reality is teachers do so much more than teach!
Morning (or anytime) Meetings are times when the teacher can connect with students in a different way. No textbooks, no tests, just a time to communicate and “touch base or check-in.” As a classroom community is being built, empathy and compassion are developed, and the group becomes more of a family, so they can more successfully learn together. Morning meetings should not add additional stress for a teacher. The short time spent in meetings is meant to be engaging and a time to communicate.
What if there was a guide to help ease the burden of “What do I say or do?”
Some teachers are natural and love doing morning meetings, but still may want a structure or guide to use as needed, with no added stress or pressure. Even then, it can be difficult to find the time to carve out in order to create and develop ideas for meetings. We can provide a guide, with no strings attached! No reports. No need to stress of doing it “just right” just a guide, use it or bend it. Make it real for your students. A useful tool, easy to use and gives you seeds to plant in the class that can bloom and help create the community wanted in a classroom. A place of understanding and support and encouragement. Dropping the bully type behaviors as students learn the common ground they share.
The 5 Needs materials are a perfect guide for Morning Meetings because you can get to the point, not feel rushed and allow students to think, express themselves and learn from others. Empathy and compassion can develop as students learn about what they and their peers really need. Some may learn that not everyone has it as easy as they do and others may learn they share the same struggles as others.
All you need is a box!
Yes, a box or treasure chest type of box with a slit on top for students to put cards and notes in for you to read whenever you can. You can purchase one or have students make one. They can paint it or not. Let the students be a part of creating the box if possible. Put a little lock on it to show they are safe to put anything in the box. That’s it! Get the matierals and guides from us and go get a box. You will be good to go!
What? Why?
The 5 Needs can stir up “stuff” and can open doors for students to share what is going on beyond the classroom or sometimes deep within them. Things they may want to share but have no idea how to do so. Often schools are for learning, not for sharing. Teachers have schedules and demands on them; they cannot be everything to everyone. True, but what if Morning Meetings could provide a time, space, and platform for students to discover they can be heard? For students to have an opportunity to know their struggles outside of the classroom are important. That these are heard and seen by the tehacers and they are safe, this can allow a relationship to develop that is secure and can change the ways a studetns learns and lives. Support, practical support, can be provided.
The 5 Needs matter. We all have these needs so we are connected and “the playing ground” can be leveled a bit more using The 5 Needs in Life with your students.
This alone can have a rippling effect on your class community.
Wait and see.
Any one of these needs going unfulfilled can keep students from achieving and thriving.
When needs are unmet, students are not at their best. They may have too much pull and distraction to pay attention to what is in front of them because their needs are going unmet. However, many students do not know what their needs are and cannot identify what may be going on. We start with helping students identify their needs.
The needs may sound simple but when unmet these needs create difficulties in our lives.
- Staying Alive
- Love and Belonging
- Freedom and Boundaries
- Power
- Fun
Take a minute to consider these scenarios:
- A family living out of the car due to financial setbacks and no one knew. With the need to stay alive unmet, the student could put a note in the box and the family could get help.
- A child being abused had no words to speak up until love and belonging were discussed.
- A student was getting bullied and said nothing for fear that he would get in trouble, but had freedom and boundaries been introduced and talked over in ways he could relate to, there could have been a change made also.
- A child felt they had no power, till she learned she did have power, more important, she could grow her power.
- Having fun was not an option in this student’s life. After all, fun was looked down on and she was too lonely, till she learned fun was okay.
What about teaching students the basics and going beyond each need too? We can do this with a plan, a guide, and no pressure.
Why a box and witha lock?
A box in the classroom where students can put questions, thoughts, or make extra comments is very helpful and essential. may need help and they need a way to let us know. A box is a good way, with no embarrassment, especially if we ask each student to put something in each week. This way no one is embarrassed about dropping in a note.
A peek at what can be discussed briefly and open doors.
Staying Alive can review food and healthy choices, shelter, budgeting, clothing for the season (many students often do not have winter coats), hygiene (washing hands, using the elbow to cough, wearing deodorant, bathing) but also go all the way to suicide prevention, depending on the group. Even grief can be discssed as the is a loss of being alive and so many hurt from various kids of grief.. Sounds like a health class but can also be a brief time in your class meetings. Basics are not overlooked. A borad stroke can be made too, personalizing the guides to meet the needs in your class is easy.
We can also learn the differences in wants and needs allowing us to “level the playing field” among students. We all have the same basic needs, so we are more alike than different. The need and tendency to “one up” each other can be reduced. Compassion can come into play as well as empathy.
Little moments make a big difference in life.
We will come back and revisit each of the needs in this blog.
If you are interested in learning how to develop class meetings with a purpose and no pressure, contact Wendy.
wendy@the5needs.com
Please note:
All of our blogs are intended for educational purposes only. These are not intended as “advice” or any form of therapeutic intervention. Please contact your doctor, local mental health office for help with individual problems or concerns. You may also call 988 to speak with a person about self-harm thoughts.
You matter. Help and hope are there for you.
