SEL Toolkit - MTRC
Using this toolkit...
This toolkit is for you to use in your classroom. *Please make a copy and save the entire presentation to your google drive before making any changes.
There are 4 sections with links embedded for more information:
Morning Meeting
What is Morning Meeting? Morning Meeting is a fun & purposeful way to begin every day. These 5-20 minute daily gatherings in the classroom help to build community, social & emotional skills, and create excitement for academic learning! When each of the four components are planned purposefully with your students’ needs and skills in mind, you will experience a positive & powerful start to your day. Students sit or stand in a circle so that all can be seen & heard. Each component is linked to a website with ideas
A few tips for Morning Meeting:
Morning Meeting Ideas for Greetings (Virtual* see notes or Social Distancing)
Greetings: |
|
Hello Neighbor! | Hello neighbor, what d'ya say? (wave to calssmates on the screen) It's gonna be a wonderful day! (arms circle over head and then move down to sides) So clap your hands and boogie on down. (clap hands and boogie down.) Give a little jump and turn around. (jump up and turn around) The last time: Now sit down. | Can ask for other ways to say hello in different languages: Hola!, Bonjour!, etc (K-3) |
A Little Known Fact | Have students think of a fact about themselves which many people may not know. Students introduce themselves. "Good morning. My name is _____ and a little known fact about me is _____________." The group responds "Good morning, (name) ." Continue around the circle until everyone has been greeted. Plan for Success: If students need help getting ideas for their responses, brainstorm categories such as favorite hobbies, things they are good at, family traditions, etc. | Variations:Ask students to raise their hands if they learned something new about their classmates. You could also have students talk about why it is important to learn about one another. (2-5) |
Stand and Reach up High | Stand up _____(Hanna), Stand up ____ (Sarah), Stand up _____ (Joel), Stand up _____ (Sam). Reach up to very high now Reach up to the sky now Turn around. Now sit down. | *Sung to Frere Jacque T names the first 4 children on their screen, continue ultil all have been named. *Display words on screen (K-2) |
Morning Meeting Ideas for Virtual Learning:
Greetings: |
|
1,2,3 Show! | Students will choose 1 of 3 motions that demonstrate an emotion: Surprise - hand over open mouth, Content - hand under chin with smile, If they match the teacher they unmute and greet each other - the rest stay frozen | Skill: naming emotions (2-5) |
Come to the circle if... | Teacher names several categories such as: if you have a pet, if you ate cereal for breakfast, if you have a sister, etc. If they do not fit the category or agree with the statement, the students will stay muted and stop their video. The students that agree/fit the category or statement unmute and greet those that are also unmuted. | Skill: Building community (K-5) |
Microwave | Students use their pinky to wave as they greet another person by name. The teacher will explain that they will begin unmuted and the teacher will unmute the student that will be greeted. *Make sure that the students are all using the gallery view. | Skill: Speaking & Listening (K-3) |
Action Name Greeting | One at a time, students greet the group by saying “Hi, I’m (action + name).” The action must start with the same letter as the student’s name. An example would be, “Hi, I’m Jumping Judy.” * Alternative - use adjectives | Skill: ELA - verbs, adjectives (2-5) |
Look Who Came to Zoom Today! | Look who came to zoom today _____ , ______ Let’s all say hello to them “Hi, ______________! | Children & teacher chant together...chant slowly to allow for video delay (K-2) |
Knock knock with a partner | Put several knock,knock jokes on the screen. Have students choose one and share w/assigned partner using zoom rooms | Skill: ELA - speaking & listening, rhyming (for younger students memorize) |
Morning Meeting Ideas (Virtual* see notes or Social Distancing)
Sharing: |
|
Space Ship Travel | Pretend you are on a spaceship in outer space. You have to leave the ship in a hurry. What 5 items would you take with you. | |
Super Hero | If you had a superpower, what would it be? | |
Would You Rather? | Would you rather? (K-5) | |
Just Like Me | Name something ture of you...if it’’s true of them they raise hands and say “Just Like Me” | Variations - Jazz hands, Air High Five, Air Fist bump |
Get to Know You.. | Choose one of the following categories:
| Give examples for younger students as needed. Can also do this as partner /small group shares in zoom rooms |
Scavenger Hunt | 30 seconds to find: Something soft, something blue, something alive, | Relate it to the curriculum Ex: K/1 Something that begins with |
Morning Meeting Ideas (Virtual* see notes or Social Distancing)
Energizers/Activities: |
|
Fidget Family | Have students choose a character while displaying the slide and write it in the chat box. Teacher reads the story and the students stand up, turn around, and sit down as their character is named in the story. | |
Protractor | Use your body position to show different numbers: Model first 0, 5, 10 Then T says show me 2, show me 7, show me 2 + 6, etc | Can do math problems, like/dislike, etc |
Take Sides | Snack: sweet/salty Vacation: Beach/Mountains Genre: Fiction/Non-fiction | |
Desk Dash | Virtual scavenger hunt: Something that is blue Something that begins with the sound /b/ | Older students can type the object into the chat box |
Twisted Brain, Popcorn, Captain’s Coming, Shake it down | *See slides | |
Morning Meeting Ideas (Virtual* see notes or Social Distancing)
Activities: |
|
Pica, Ferma, Nada | Send a student to the “waiting” room (hover over their name and press the 3 dots). One student chooses a 3 digit number. Have the student return from the waiting room. The student will guess a digit and the then call on a student to give them a clue. Clues: Ferme - Yes, the digit is correct and in the correct position, Pica - almost, the digit is correct, but in the wrong position, Nada - Nope, the digit is incorrect. | For younger students support them by using a grid using the virtual whiteboard to keep track of the numbers (2-5) |
Four Corners | Give 4 choices within a category: Example - favorite shoes to wear: 1. boots, 2. sneakers, 3. flip flops, 4. Slippers Students type preference in chat box. Teacher creates 4 zoom rooms & assigns students by choice. Students chat for 2 minutes . | Zoom breakout rooms (1-5) |
Just Like Me! | Teacher makes a statement that is true of themselves. If it it also true for them students unmute, raise their hands in the air and say, “Just Like Me!” Ex: I love chocolate!, I have a dog (cat, etc), I have a brother (sister). | Be on the lookout for someone in the classroom that you have something in common with. Type a message to someone in the chat box about your common thing: Ex: I have labradoodle,what kind of dog do you have? (K-5) |
Morning Meeting Ideas (Virtual* see notes or Social Distancing)
Sharing Topics: |
3 Main structures: around-the-circle (easiest- T call on the next person), Dialogue shares - afterwards students can ask questions/comments: focused topic dialogue - T names focus, open dialogue - students choose the topic (* hardest) Topics: Favorite: foods, games, colors, seasons (what they like to do then), pets/animals, books,
Choral Read, Read in different voices: whisper, silly; Echo read, silently read - one person paraphrase, add sound effects for punctuation, underline words & give examples, ask for synonyms of adjectives, reader of the day, pantomime words/phrases |
Morning Message Ideas: |
Additional Ideas: |
Monday: Memorable Mondays! Share: a memory that you have (theme can vary - a holiday, trip, birthday, dinner, family moment, etc. - can be recent or ‘long ago’). Tuesday: Try something New Tuesdays! Share: what new thing will you try this week? (can be small or big, trying a new type of food or a new game or a new skill!) Wednesday: Wonderful Wednesday! - Write a post about something WONDERFUL, to which students will respond. Thursday: Thankful Thursdays! Share: Something for which you are grateful Friday: Funny Fridays! Share: Funny jokes |
Insert Date
Good Morning!
Today is ____________________ .
We have ____________________.
Think of something that begins with the letter M.
Love,
Insert Date
Good Morning!
Today is ____________________ .
We have ____________________ today!
We will learn about _______________________. Think about what you know about __________________________________.
Love,
Insert Date
Good Morning!
Today is ____________________ .
We have ____________________ today!
We will learn about Fall. What do you like about Fall?
Love,
Insert Date
Good Morning Fabulous Fourth Graders!
Today is ____________________ , November ________, 2020.
We have ____________________ today!
Today we will learn more about families. Think about your family. What are some special things your family does together? Be ready to share!
Love,
Insert Date
Dear Astronomers,
Today is ____________________ , November ________, 2020.
We have ____________________ today! Yesterday we learned about the phases of the moon, it reminded me of this quote:
What do you think this means? Be ready to share during Morning Meeting.
Love,
“Shoot for moon, even if you miss, you will land among the stars.”
Personal Space Camp
In this story, Julia Cook reinforces how we can be respectful of each other spatially. She uses outer space as a creative way to challenge students understanding as we follow Louis' hilarious journey through "Personal Space Camp".
Look at the cover: How does the planet look? (Mad, angry, upset) Why?
How does the moon look? Why?
How about the star? Why?
*Discuss how “respecting each other’s space helps us stay “safe” from germs
Video of read aloud:
Download PPT of social story & lesson here
*Another book: Ruby’s Bubble
Ideas for Working in Student Groups While Social Distancing
*Please be sure to use the guidelines that in place for your own school and modify ideas below to fit your classroom/school:
Use interactive modeling to teach how to:
Ideas for Working in Student Groups While Social Distancing
*Use the guidelines that in place for your own school and modify ideas below
Use interactive modeling to teach how to:
Picture Books to Teach SEL
Title & Author | Brief Synopsis | Skills to Teach | Notes/Extensions |
This School Year Will Be The Best! By Kay Winters https://www.amazon.com/This-School-Year-Will-BEST/dp/0142426962 | Students share their hopes for the coming year...some are humorous | Great intro to Hopes & Dreams | Primary |
Courage by Bernard Weber | | Assertion, responsibility, empathy, self-control, Hopes & Dreams | All ages |
Ish by Peter Reynolds | | Assertion, empathy, guided discovery, hopes & dreams | All ages |
When Sophie Gets Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang | | Self-control, logical consequences, take -a break | Primary |
Picture Books to Teach SEL
Title & Author | Brief Synopsis | Skills to Teach | Notes/Extensions |
Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse By Kevin Henkes | Lily loves everything about school, especially her teacher, but when he asks her to wait to share about her new purse she does something that she regrets later | Break it fix it - Apology of Action | |
A Bad Case of Stripes By David Shannon | | Assertion, Empathy | |
Stellaluna By Janell Cannon | | Empathy, self-control | |
| | | |