Over the last several weeks, I have fistbumped, shaken hands, touched elbows, and made “hand hearts.” I have corrected grammatical errors in welcoming messages, shared pictures and stories of my grandfathers’ military service, identified my favorite Thanksgiving dessert (anything with homemade whipped cream on it), and counted the days of the month, the year, and the week. I have also lost at rock-paper-scissors (six straight matches!), tied at quick-reacting body movement games, and been mystified during improvisation games.
I have done all of this while spending time twice a week in various classrooms for Morning Meeting. Starting at the end of the critical first-six-weeks-of-school period when routines and relationships are developed, I will participate in Morning Meeting in every early childhood and lower school classroom by the middle of January. I have witnessed our teachers masterfully connecting with their students, creating and cultivating an atmosphere where the students feel known and safe enough with one another to be vulnerable and share of themselves. They do this all while sharing schedules, lunch menus, and other logistical news and while weaving in important foundational skills such as grammar, spelling, and math facts.
Just as breakfast is often called the most important meal of the day, Morning Meeting sets the tone for the school day for our students, and much of their experiences and accomplishments stem from these important moments. Starting last week, I now have the opportunity and responsibility to set a similar tone for a group of students each morning: I am leading a group of 8th graders in “advisory” in support of a colleague who is out on maternity leave. While the opening moments of school for 8th graders look different than they do for our younger students, the feeling of setting the tone for the day in a safe, friendly, and connected environment is no less important, and I look forward to doing my best to create such an atmosphere for the nine 8th graders under my care. I just don’t think I will suggest a rock-paper-scissors tournament until I get a little better at it.
Letters from Aaron 