It All Starts with a Good Morning

Have you ever noticed how a simple “good morning” can completely change the start of your day? In our classroom, we see that every day. When students greet one another during our Morning Circle, they make eye contact, share a smile, and begin the day connected—not just as classmates, but as a community. It’s a small moment that sets a positive tone for everything that follows.

As part of our Morning Circle, we also enjoy learning to say “good morning” in new languages! Each week, we explore a new greeting, learn how to pronounce it, and talk a bit about the culture or place it comes from. Last week, we learned “Aloha kakahiaka” from Hawaiian, which quickly became a class favorite. Next week, we’ll be learning how to say good morning in another language—students are already making guesses about which one it will be! This activity helps us celebrate diversity, build curiosity about places in the world, and connect through shared learning.

After greetings, we move our bodies and wake up our brains through short exercises that cross the midline—helping both sides of the brain work together and preparing students to learn. We then set one personal goal for the day. These goals might be academic (“I want to finish my writing piece”) or social (“I want to include someone new at recess”). At the end of the day, we reflect together: Did we meet our goal? What helped us succeed, and what can we work on tomorrow? These moments of reflection help students take ownership of their learning and personal growth.

Next week, we’ll begin October Sharing, with the theme being Favorite Books! Each student will get a chance to share a book that means something to them and tell us why they love it. This activity helps students connect through shared interests, practice speaking and listening skills, and celebrate one another’s individuality. It’s always wonderful to see how excited students get to share their stories and we can’t wait to discover new books from classmates’ recommendations.

Being a multiage class means our 1st and 2nd graders learn side by side every day. It’s amazing to see how naturally they support one another—older students often take the lead in helping younger classmates, while younger students bring curiosity and energy that inspire everyone. They sit together, collaborate on projects, and cheer each other on. This structure builds empathy, leadership, and a true sense of belonging.

Inside our room, we’ve created table groups, each with its own team name chosen by the students. These small teams encourage collaboration, shared responsibility, and teamwork in everything we do. Every week, we also set aside time for team-building activities—fun, hands-on challenges that require communication, cooperation, and creativity. Whether it’s solving a problem together or celebrating a small victory, students are learning that they can accomplish more when they work as a team.

All of these experiences—Morning Circle, goal setting, learning greetings in new languages, book sharing, our multiage partnerships, and team challenges—have one big purpose: to build healthy, positive relationships. When students feel a sense of belonging and connection, they become more confident learners and more compassionate people. They learn that success isn’t just about what they achieve individually, but also about how they lift up those around them.

In the end, we’re not only helping students grow academically—we’re helping them grow as thoughtful, kind, and responsible members of a community. And that’s what makes our classroom such a special place to learn every day.

So the next time your child greets you in a new language at home, don’t be surprised if it’s said with a bright smile and confident eye contact—it’s just another way we’re growing our classroom community, one “good morning” at a time!