Mornings can be a hectic time in the primary classroom, but they don’t have to be! Today I have 5 Tips for creating a calm morning routine in the classroom to start each day on the right foot for you and your students. Read about my favorite ideas for morning procedures using a visual chart, activities for morning work and morning tubs, a morning choice board, and creating a calming environment for your students!

Are you a morning person? I never used to be! I totally was the person who knew the exact amount of minutes it would take me to roll out of bed, get ready in a rush, and leave the house with just enough time to make it to school. Although I would set my alarm earlier, I really I knew I was going to snooze until the last minute! 

I was so tired of the rushed and hectic feeling I started every day with so I decided to make a change and create an enjoyable morning routine that I loved. Now I wake up a little earlier but I get to sip coffee before anyone else in the house wakes up. I listen to a podcast while I get ready for school and I look over my plans for the day. My mood is completely different and I feel ready to tackle the day! 

I use this same philosophy for morning routines in my first grade classroom! I want my students to feel calm and centered as soon as they walk in the door. We know that students might have difficult mornings before they arrive. But my goal is for my classroom to feel like a safe space. 

Classroom Morning Goals

I have two goals every morning in my classroom: 

• Greet and Connect with students as they walk in the door
• Have time to complete all of my morning tasks (without feeling rushed!)

To accomplish these goals it is essential that my students can be independent in the morning. Here are my tips for creating a calm start to the day!

Classroom Morning Routine Tip #1

Have clear Morning Procedures (and use a visual to teach them to students!)

There are several procedures we need our students to do in the morning in order to get ready for the day. Things like unpacking their backpacks, turning in homework, sharpening pencils, unstacking chairs, using the restroom, etc. It can be a lot for kids to remember! 

I used to constantly have to monitor and remind students which morning tasks they still needed to complete. So to fix this problem I created a visual board for students to look at with all of their morning procedures. 

At the very beginning of the school year (usually the first day of school!), we go over the board together and practice what each of the procedures looks like and sounds like. I model and I have students model each step. 

Then, the next morning I have students try it! I have the slide up on the smart board as students walk in and I give support as students complete the steps. 

Having a visual has made such a big difference for my sweet first graders! They are able to be independent in the morning and I can focus on greeting and connecting with them while also getting my teacher tasks done! 

You can find these slides in my Morning and Dismissal Procedure Board Resource!

Classroom Morning Routine Tip #2

Have morning activities that can be done independently 

As students finish their morning procedures, I like to have an activity that they can work on independently. I like this to be something that they can do without a lot of my help.

Some different Morning Activity options:

• Morning Work : Review math or literacy skills that students have already learned. I don’t do a lot of worksheets in my classroom, but I find that the morning is a good time to apply what students have learned through our hands-on activities to a pencil-paper task. 

I love using these No Prep Math Worksheets to review math skills. They use a lot of the same formats from month to month so your students will know what to expect and have more independence when completing the pages! 

Each math page includes a fun, seasonal joke students will love! You can find the bundle for Math No Prep all year long here!

• Morning Tubs

Another option for a morning activity are Morning Tubs. This is a great alternative to worksheets because students get to start their day with play (and there’s no copying required!)  I kept a shelf of bins with different play materials such as legos, paper cups for stacking, pattern blocks, magnets, etc. Each day I put one basket on each of my classroom tables. Students played with the materials in their basket until it was time to start Morning Meeting. 

The only con for me for morning tubs was that the classroom was a little louder! But the kids loved doing it!

I also always give students to make a different choice like read or color rather than playing with the morning tub!

Classroom Morning Routine Tip #3

Automate tasks with classroom jobs 

With my classroom jobs, I like to work smarter, not harder! Every year I always have certain students that are the very first to arrive every morning. I like to assign these students special classroom jobs that can be completed after they finish their morning procedures. I choose tasks that take things off my plate and make the day run smoother!

Some ideas:

• Return books to the classroom library and make sure books are in the correct basket
• Sharpen pencils
• Water classroom plants
• Pass out any papers 

Classroom Morning Routine Tip #4

 Have quiet activities for fast finishers

If you choose to have students complete morning work, I like to have choices ready to go for my fast-finishers. I loved using a choice board in my classroom. This gives my students some options that they can do quietly and independently.

You can grab this choice board in my Morning and Dismissal Procedures Slides 

I also love using Task Cards as a Fast Finisher Activity! You can read more about this in my Blog Post: 4 Ideas for Managing Early Finishers

Classroom Morning Routine Tip #5

Create a calm environment to start the day on the right foot

Creating a calm environment is so important to start the day with the right mindset! I love having calm music playing. I make sure all the blinds are open to let in natural light and open the windows for fresh air if the weather is nice!

How do you create a calm morning routine for your classroom? Let me know in the comments below!