This week I will explore several soft start morning actives that students can get started on as they enter the classroom to start the day. Adding soft start options to your morning routine will allow students to get settled before they start their day. Like most people, students do well when they are able to take their time in the morning rather than feeling rushed to get work started. Once students have completed their basic morning routine; changing shoes, hanging up coats, backpacks etc., they have a handful of activities to choose from. Activities may include puzzles, books, drawing, writing, coloring pages, Legos/blocks, or any other preferred activities that your class or students are interested in. The activities should be short and calming and should be activities that allow students to conduct quiet conversations to strengthen their sense of community with their peers and the ability to work independently. Depending on your class or the age of the students, you may prefer to offer 2-3 choices and then change things up day to day or week to week. Soft start mornings not only benefit the students but also give you as a teacher to check in with students or parents at the beginning of the day.
Adding soft start options to your morning routine will allow students to get settled before they start their day.
Another activity for a soft start morning is simply drawing a letter, number, shape or part of an object on the board. When students arrive they complete their morning routine as above and then draw the number or letter that is on the board. From there students are asked to turn the number or letter into something else. This activity allows for students to slowly adjust to the day while being as creative or imaginative as they wish to be. Say the teacher draws an “S” on the board. One student may turn the “S” into a snake and another may turn the “S” into a wave and add a surfer. As an example I drew a square and handed it to my daughter. She decided to add eyes, a mouth and a stem and turned the shape into a pumpkin.
For my final soft start activity for mindful mornings, I would bring the class together in a circle and ask the question of the day. Questions aren’t complex but allow students to develop critical thinking, build oral language and vocabulary, promote social emotional learning and encourages communication and language development. Examples of questions to ask students may include:
- What would you want your superpower to be? How would you use it?
- What rule do you think everyone in the world should have to obey? Why?
- What special skills do you have? How could you teach them to other people?
- Would you rather eat a banana or a carrot? Why?
- Would you rather be a unicorn or a dinosaur? Why?
- Would you rather have a cat or a fish as a pet? Why?
- How do you like to spend your free time?
- What kind of video game system do you have?
- Do you play, or want to learn how to play, any instruments?
Students can choose to pass if they do not wish to speak but the important thing is that students are being respectful listeners to their peers and are learning to take turns with speaking. You could even introduce a talking stick or talking stone, and only the student holding this item can speak.
These activities create soft, calm mornings that allow the students to settle into their day before they take on academic challenges. They encourage creative and critical thinking and to use problem solving skills when working independently on their chosen or set activity.
