How to have a Successful Morning Meeting at your Co-op
Almost every Homeschool Co-op Leader has struggled with what to do in the morning meeting time, how to get people to show up on time and how to make it useful. When there are so many other things that take up time and attention throughout the day, the morning meeting shouldn’t be the one thing that we struggle with. Hopefully this post on how to have a successful morning meeting at your co-op will give you some ideas of things you can implement for a smooth start to the day.
What is the Purpose of Morning Meetings?
Most co-ops use the morning meeting time to set the tone for the day, share announcements, fellowship, and if you are faith-based group, do a devotional or worship. Some groups might also include prayer or say the Pledge of Allegiance.
Determine what is necessary or non-negotiable for your group and plan to implement those elements.
What do you call this Gathering Time?
Our group just refers to it as the morning meeting, but many groups call it other things like Chapel, Connection Time, morning assembly, or just plain “announcements”
When Should the Morning Meeting Happen?
The obvious answer would be well… the morning. But as many groups have determined, sometimes this meeting is better off later in the day. It works for our group to meet first thing in the morning prior to classes starting. We meet for about 20 minutes and then go on about our day. But if you are concerned about later arrivals (we’ll get to that later) or if not everyone is on campus for first hour, you could plan your meeting time after the first hour class, during lunch or even at the end of the day.
What Do You Do During the Morning Meeting?
As mentioned above, every group has a different purpose for gathering together but some ideas could include:
- Give upcoming announcements
- Highlight birthdays
- Say the Pledge of Allegiance
- Pray
- Play a group game
- Showcase special classes like Music, Choir, Art, drama- let students perform or show off their art.
- Worship
- Practice memory verses or other memory work, recite the group mission or a poem
- Family presentations (this could be a presentation on anything or maybe there is a theme for the year )
- Read a picture book
- Devotional
- Have a Show and Tell Time
Organizing your Meeting Space
You will most likely be using the largest space you have available to you for your meeting time and that often means that you are using a space that isn’t always ideal for keeping the attention of the whole group, especially if your group is large.
Take these things into consideration:
Visual Aids: Use a whiteboard or projector for announcements, song lyrics, or visual elements related to what you are doing.
Seating Arrangements: Most likely if your group is large and you are not meeting in a auditorium or sanctuary, your people will be standing. If you have chairs available, consider a circle or a U-shape to promote a sense of community.
Materials and Supplies: Have everything you need organized and easily accessible to avoid disruptions. It might be a good idea to have a special “meeting box” that you use to keep things together.
How Do You Handle Latecomers to the Morning Meeting Time?
If you are part of my Homeschool Leader email list, then you have heard me say that the most important thing that you need to do is set clear expectations of your members. Does everyone know exactly what time they are supposed to be there and what happens if they are not on time. It makes no sense to have a requirement if you aren’t going to hold people accountable to it. Here are a few options to consider when dealing with chronically late members.
Let everyone know the expectations for being on time. Explain it in person and in writing and put it in every form of communication that goes out about the co-op. If you have a habitually late person or family then kindly point out their tardiness and remind them of where they can find the expectations that was given to them before co-op started.
Everyone should check in when they come through the door. Anyone that doesn’t arrive on time can be given a tardy. After a specified number of tardies there is a consequence. In our co-op 3 tardies equals an absence and after 3 absences you lose priority registration.
Consider having your morning meeting later in the day. Perhaps have it after first hour or before or after lunch. You could even move it to the end of the day to catch everyone who either comes later or has trouble getting there on time.
At the start of your meeting time, you could lock the doors and have them not re-open until after it’s over. This might upset some people but if they know the expectation and consequence ahead of time, they will understand.
Troubleshooting Common Morning Meeting Challenges
Time Management: Stick to a schedule to ensure that the meeting starts and ends on time. It’s helpful to have a volunteer be the timekeeper.
Disruptive Behavior: Have a plan in place for addressing disruptive behavior, and be consistent in enforcing expectations.
Lack of Participation: Encourage participation by making activities fun and engaging, and offering positive reinforcement.
Other Homeschool Co-op Resources
Supporting Students with special Needs in a Homeschool Co-op
How to Host a Homeschool Co-op Open House
How to Plan a Homeschool Co-op Graduation
If your co-op has a special meeting time, what are some of the things that you do during it? Share in the comments!
Angela is the Homeschool Encourager for the Overwhelmed & Under-Caffeinated and the Chaos-to-Confidence Specialist behind Schooling with Grace. With a no-fluff approach, a dash of humor, and a whole lot of heart, she helps homeschool moms cut through the chaos, ditch unrealistic expectations, and teach with confidence.