This summer I've been taking a class based upon the above book. I've always felt strongly about building a positive classroom community, and was looking for some new ideas and strategies to build a strong community with my new first graders this fall. This is a FABULOUS book and I have learned so many new ideas and already have my Morning Meeting built into my schedule for the 2012-2013 school year. If you have any tips we'd definitely LOVE to hear howThe Morning Meeting works for you!
And now onto a cute little community building activity that we're going to do with our kiddos on their first day of school!
Looking over Pinterest, I've found several fingerprint tree ideas, but never really found a tree I liked. So after several hours of using Adobe Illustrator, here's a fingerprint tree I created. You could definitely add more fingerprints around your students' fingerprints to make the tree fuller. I will be adding my students' names under each of their fingerprints. If you click on the photo below you'll see a close up of a few fingerprints with names below them. There is also plenty of room on the page for you to add your class name above the tree for extra personalization!
After I made the tree shown above, I decided that I wanted a shorter trunk so I created 3 different trees all with different sized trunks. If you'd like a set too, just click the picture below for your copy!
Have a FANTASTIC rest of the week!
I went to college in Massachusetts and we learned ALL about responsive classroom, I love my morning meeting book and the kids cherish that time each morning!
ReplyDeleteJust found {and followed} your blog!
Susan
T.G.I.F. (Thank God it's First Grade!)
Thanks Susan! I am REALLY excited about incorporating the Morning Meeting into my classroom. Glad to hear your kids enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteI am definitely going to be doing this the first day of school! I also just started reading The Morning Meeting, it's great so far. Thank you so much!
ReplyDelete~Tina
Laugh Live Love Learn
You may also want to check out the book called Creating the School Family by Dr. Becky Bailey. It is an amazing book full of ideas and strategies for a positive classroom environment and building connections with and among your students. Life changing for both you and your students!
ReplyDeleteI was just looking at his book on amazon.com and even reading excerts from it but I wasn't sure I should buy it! Dang, does it have like explicit directions on how to do this morning meeting and daily suggestions of what to talk about? This will be my first year in First Grade and I just found out and I am absolutely terrified I won't be ready!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this! It is too cute. I have seen some of these on Pinterest and am looking forward to using in our classroom this year. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! I love this idea but hadn't found a tree either.
ReplyDeleteLinda
Too Cute!!! If you have time stop by my blog and join my "Classroom Tours Linky Party"! I would love to see your classroom!! If you aren't ready just quite yet, share a before pic and then go back and share an after pic! :)
ReplyDeleteBrigid
Brigid's Daily Lesson Log
Hi Ladies,
ReplyDeleteI am happy that I just found your blog and I'm a new follower! I am a new blogger and I look forward to learning and sharing new ideas. Hop on over to my blog for a visit sometime. :)
Corinna
Teaching Fabulous Firsties!
Several of the teachers in my school use this book and Morning Meetings in their classrooms, including me. I enjoy getting to know the kids this way, but I get soooo tired of writing a message every day. So I got smart this year and wrote my message out, but left blanks for the date and other information I write continuously over and over, then I had it laminated. So far I am LOVING how it makes writing the message go faster for me. Although I hate erasing it after school each day.
ReplyDelete