April 23, 2008
Message from the Month of March
Morning Meeting and Second Step
The second graders always look forward to our Morning Meeting time, held each day at 9:00. This 15 to 20 minute time includes a greeting, message, and activity.
We have several special greetings we enjoy, such as the double beanbag toss, ball roll, and the week-end greeting, but one of the most important parts of this time together is when each child is greeted by name. Hearing your name is an affirming reminder that you are a valued member of our class.
Next, the morning message from the teacher is read by one of the students. It updates the class on the day’s schedule and activities. The message often integrates spelling, grammar, or punctuation practice and reinforces previous learning.
The morning meeting ends with an activity such as Tricky Bear, Simon Says, or a sharing time.
This year, our class has also been using our Morning Meeting time for social and emotional skill lessons. We are using The Second Step program. The three units covered are:
· Unit I: Empathy Training-Children learn about feelings and ways to show understanding and caring toward others.
· Unit II: Impulse Control and Problem Solving -Children learn new ways to solve problems and practice skills such as calming down, apologizing, interrupting politely, and making new friends.
· Unit III: Anger Management- Children learn to manage their anger in ways that do not hurt others.
The Second Step activities center around photo-cards depicting various social situations and interactions. The class might discuss questions such as the following:
How do you think the people in this photo are feeling?
What clues help us understand how they might feel?
What do you think the problem might be?
How do you think they might solve the problem?
Have you ever had the same problem or felt the same way?
The Second Step time, together with the other activities that make up our Morning Meeting, set a focus and tone that positively influences the students’ interactions throughout the whole day.
