A classroom morning routine is going to be the key to starting the school day. Routines provide students with a predictable structure that sets them up for success every single day. Whether you are teaching in the classroom or online this year, we have gathered some morning routines and ideas from the teachers in our Facebook groups 1st grade / 2nd grade that will give you some ideas for your students.
Classroom Morning Routines and Ideas
1- “Come into the room at 7:45. Watch some PBS kids while they wash their hands, do their lunch counts, and eat their breakfast. Then announcements start at 8:00. Morning routine until 8:15 and then we start our day!” -Bailey A.
2- “Temperature check and masks at the door. Hands sanitized. Hang up backpacks, put take home folder in seat sacks. Get breakfast. Eat. Pledge, lunch count, check folders (on their desks, I don’t collect them this year).
Sanitize tables restroom break.” -Jamie Z.
3- “They come in and do morning work (at this point it is coloring mystery pics) but I hope to incorporate spiral morning work! They have a staggered arrival so not much else I could do.” -Katie P.
Check out Spiral Review Morning Work
Download Spiral Math HERE
4- We have a 25 minute arrival period before the bell rings so this year we’re doing a different morning work every day to shake things up and make it fun and exciting every day!” -Taylor S.
5- “We do a 20 minute morning meeting first thing, all grades k-5.” -Jocelyn K.
6- “They can come in anytime after 7:45. They put anything in their folders for me in a tray and can get breakfast to bring back to the room. Then after finishing any unfinished work from the day before, they do spelling practice and then can choose Lexia, IXL, Read to Self, or morning tubs until after announcements around 8:25!” -Zach D.
Download Spelling Activities HERE
7- “Kids enter from classroom exterior door as they arrive (no line up) and sanitize or wash hands. They go directly to their desks and read on an online platform or from the book bins I curate for them each week. We take attendance and place lunch orders. Then morning meeting circle, greeting, group community-building activity, sharing, and morning message.” -Jennifer A.
2 Ways to Get This Resource
Join All Access to download everything we've ever made.
Or... Purchase the bundle in our shop.
8- “I have them do a handwriting worksheet and we have morning meeting.” -Kayla K.
9- “We come in, I pass out breakfast, they watch the morning announcements as they eat, then I take their lunch orders, we go to the restroom and get our day started.” -Sara
10- “When they come in, they sit at their desks with their backpacks. I read a book aloud—something that goes with our science or social/emotional learning. Then as announcements come on, they go to their cubbies in small groups.” -Danielle A.
11- “We have a soft start/morning tubs. They have 10-15 to chill. We have school announcements. Then we have morning meeting on the carpet. I tell them what’s going on for the day and they each have an opportunity to share their news. Then we do The Phonics Dance and our Picture of the Day. We usually have an hour left for whatever our shared reading is and our reading groups.” -Maria K.
12- “Backpacks on hook, lunch on floor, water bottle on shelf, lunch card in lunch choice pocket, greeting with teacher, desk to watch schoolwide FB live with principal on projector- 10 minutes [this is replacing what used to be a whole school outside assembly daily], write sight word of the day and hang on board, good morning song, stand on tiger paw sit spots in circle around perimeter of desks (to replace sitting on floor in a circle) for Responsive Classroom Morning Meeting (student greetings, student of the day oral sharing/peer questions, activity- song/game/Go Noodle, message- schedule review), student of the day shares calendar date quickly, student of the day leads Potato Head Rule Review Whole Brain Teaching Style, Lucky Duck (random secret student name draw) then off to instruction which is whole group phonics lesson/practice, whole group writing lesson, 30 minutes write time, then AM recess and whole group bathroom break before the next instructional block, which is an hour of reading groups.” -Kathleen T.
13- “Spiral review as they come in, check it, do calendar, 2 or 3 kids share.” -Amanda L.
14- “Put your bag at your desk, check for any notes for the office. Wash your hands, sit down and eat your breakfasts. If you aren’t eating, play a learning game on your tablet until announcements. I go around for trash during announcements & then take lunch orders (hot vs cold and how many need milk). Then we do Tiger Time (morning meeting), which differs depending on the day. Most of the time, it’s a SEL book or questions.” -Susie S.
Online Morning Routines and Ideas
1- “Greeting, sharing time (topic from the Morning Meeting book), a game or activity (We played Just Like Me this past week.) Oh let’s not forget the morning message. I write it on the Zoom whiteboard. There is always at least 1 question to discuss. I use a fun online spinner to choose speakers.” -Evette R.
2- “We start with our morning meeting. We do pledge, morning announcements, go over our schedule for the day, and a sharing activity.” -Allie J.
3- “Our favorite is Directed Drawings on Friday. It is so sweet to see all my littles contentedly drawing and coloring.” -Wendla D.
4- “Greeting. Sharing . Activity . Movement. Days in school count. Morning message.” -Bridget S.
5- ” I admit to Zoom one at a time for personal check in with each student then we do a greeting activity and morning message. Next I put up the journal prompt and they write with cameras off and muted while i have a 15 min. timer playing quiet music.” -Danielle L.
6- “I’m 100% online and your Google resources have saved the day. We use Wonders and Go Math. Fortunately the resources that I have purchased from your store have been so great for online learning. Most of your TPT materials tie in with our curriculum.Having said that, from 8:10-9:30 we are on Google Meet and we start with morning work and a short “how are you doing” -Kristi R.
If you’d like more morning meeting ideas, SEL lessons, and ideas for building relationships with your students, check out The Social Emotional Learning Curriculum!
Download Social Emotional Curriculum HERE
0 Comments