Handling the Holidays (Part 3): Morning Meeting Sharing

Original Article: http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/blog/handling-holidays-morning-meeting-sharing

Screen Shot 2015-03-12 at 11.06.59 AMTips on using Morning Meeting sharing to set a positive tone during the build-up to winter holidays and vacation.

Themed shares. This is a great time of year to have some themed shares. For instance, you might ask students to share their answers to questions like:

What is something you love about winter?
What is a tradition your family has this time of year?
What are some foods your family enjoys at this time of year?

(Make sure to keep sharing themes open-ended enough to include students of all cultures . . . don’t focus just on Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.)

Review sharing expectations. When students are sharing about holiday events or family traditions, it’s especially important that the tone of sharing stays respectful. Make sure to review the qualities of respectful questions and comments before students share on personal topics.

  • Mike Anderson has been an educator for more than 25 years. A public school teacher for 15 years, he has also taught preschool, coached swim teams, and taught university graduate level classes. He now works as a consultant providing professional learning for teachers throughout the US and beyond. In 2004, Mike was awarded a national Milken Educator Award, and in 2005 he was a finalist for NH Teacher of the Year. In 2020, he was awarded the Outstanding Educational Leader Award by NHASCD for his work as a consultant. A best-selling author, Mike has written nine books about great teaching and learning. His latest book is Tackling the Motivation Crisis: How to Activate Student Learning Without Behavior Charts, Pizza Parties, or Other Hard-to-Quit Incentive Systems. When not working, Mike can be found hanging with his family, tending his perennial gardens, and searching for new running routes around his home in Durham, NH.

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Mike Anderson
Mike Anderson has been an educator for more than 25 years. A public school teacher for 15 years, he has also taught preschool, coached swim teams, and taught university graduate level classes. He now works as a consultant providing professional learning for teachers throughout the US and beyond. In 2004, Mike was awarded a national Milken Educator Award, and in 2005 he was a finalist for NH Teacher of the Year. In 2020, he was awarded the Outstanding Educational Leader Award by NHASCD for his work as a consultant. A best-selling author, Mike has written nine books about great teaching and learning. His latest book is Tackling the Motivation Crisis: How to Activate Student Learning Without Behavior Charts, Pizza Parties, or Other Hard-to-Quit Incentive Systems. When not working, Mike can be found hanging with his family, tending his perennial gardens, and searching for new running routes around his home in Durham, NH.

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