I love to start each morning in my classroom with a morning meeting. It’s a perfect way to take the “temperature” of your students to see how they are feeling and what’s going on in their lives. It also is a perfect opportunity for your learners to get a good start to their day by understanding the agenda and everything they need for a fun-filled day of learning and growing!

Why should morning meetings stop when your students are off-campus? Distance learning because of school closures has us all stressed. Teachers, parents, and students are trying to navigate this new educational norm. It’s important to give them a way to start their day when they’re away from the classroom. Enter the morning meeting!

Here are some ways to host a morning meeting during distance learning.

1. Start Screencasting.

I love video, but some people aren’t comfortable being on screen every morning! Record your morning meeting slides with a Google Chrome add-on like Screencastify. You can record five minutes at a time for free, and there are a lot of resources available to get started with distance learning.

2. Simplify Your Schedule.

When you’re in school, your morning meeting may have a full day schedule and agenda set up to prepare your students for the day. You can still host a morning meeting while your students are at home, but rather than having 45 minutes of each content area, for example, focus on flexible times and learning activities that students can experience throughout the day. It may not work for all families to do writing between 9:00-9:30, for example. Share a flexible schedule with blocks of learning times you suggest for each day.

3. Post to Your Online Learning Platform

Parents have a lot on their plate during this time of school closures. Why not share your morning meeting on Google Classroom or Seesaw, so your students can watch it whenever they start their day. If you don’t currently use a platform to deliver your school materials for students and parents, consider one of these digital tools. If your school uses Google Suite, Classroom is already a tool you have for free!

4. “See” Your Students Face-to-Face

Remember having a morning meeting with your students in person. Do the next best thing by hosting your morning meeting on Google Hangouts Meet! If you are part of a Google Apps for Education/G Suite school, Google Hangouts Meet is free. Your students can be connected to you virtually in a safe, online conference call format. You won’t believe how excited your little learners will be to see your face to start their day. Google Meets can also be recorded in case your students aren’t able to make your morning meeting live. (Bonus: You get to see their faces! It’s 100% worth it.)

If you are using the morning meeting slides, you can share your screen via Google Meet to go through the slides live. Don’t forget to show your smile to your kids though!

Morning meetings are a great way to start your day with your students whether you’re in school or participating in distance learning. Connect with your students and help them start their day right with a morning meeting!