Starting the Day~Our Morning Routine

Hi Friends!  Let me just say that I am not a morning person, but mornings with my kiddos is one of my most favorite times of the day.  They are so alert and ready when they walk through our classroom door.  By the time they get there, I am ready to start the day too.  This post is all about our morning routine.

Since my very first year of teaching, I’ve greeted my students each morning at the door.  It’s a chance for me to offer a smile or notice a new haircut or outfit. :)  I even get some hugs thrown in.

Students go to the cubby area to unpack and then head to the Smartboard to pick a choice for Round 1 of Daily 5.  Each student’s name is listed at the bottom of this screen.  They just move their name to where they would like to be for Round 1. I got this great idea from Angela over at Just Keep Teaching.  I would love to do this for all rounds but I’ve found that it just doesn’t work out for any other round as far as time management is concerned.  It seems to take up lots of time.  I’m sure I’ll think of something to make it work though.  I let students know prior to going to our first round if they will be meeting with me for small group work.

After students finish checking in, they get straight to work on their morning work activities.   I use this packet from Second Story Window.  I know it’s for homework but it works great for morning work too.  It’s a review of skills that students should know.  There is a variety of grade levels.  Be sure to check out their store!

My students also work on a journal entry.  I love this as part of morning work because they get a change to practice their writing skills.  Students work quietly at their seats while I take attendance, lunch count, read parent notes……etc.

We always head to the carpet for a morning meeting.  At this time, I go over any important announcements and we do calendar.  My calendar routine comes from Calendar Math-Interactive Software by Lakeshore.  The students love leading our morning routine and being active participants.  Lakeshore has lots of different interactive software to choose from in a variety of subject areas.  Be sure to check out the Lakeshore website.

After our morning calendar activities, we go for a quick restroom break and then check the day’s morning work page.  I also have 1-2 students share their journal entry with the class.  Then it’s time for a word work mini-lesson and our first round of Daily 5.

That’s how we start our day.  How do you start yours?