Morning Meetings for Special Education Classrooms: 101 Fun Ideas, Creative Activities and Adaptable Techniques (Books for Teachers) Kindle Edition

Morning Meetings is a really good breakdown for teachers on how to make the best learning environment for their students. There are so many tips and tools to utilize - from fun icebreakers like “What We Have in Common,” interactive tasks like “Morning Story,” to math-based fun like “Shapes and Angles.” Students can take these activities out of the classroom to learn to see the world in a new way and help in their daily interactions.The ideas and techniques in the book range from preschool to early elementary so it can be used by a teacher over a course of years, especially if they teach different grade levels. But even more important than that, author Dr. Felicia Durden has created a book that is full of tools to help foster social delevopment, creativity, problem solving, and more within the special needs classroom. Although many of the activities can be used for a variety of students, I like how the book caters specifically to special needs. The book is also organized in such a way, one can find the right activity to fit into whatever teaching plan or just a fun activity with students to start off a school day with positive jumpstart.

THis book is the absolute BEST book for any teacher in a special education classroom. Anyone who has ever stepped into a special-ed classroom knows that in addition to ebeing the most rewarding and fullfilling job in the world, it can also be one of the most challenging. This book is an amazing resource for any teacher looking for creative ideas and activities for their students. Without a doubt, there has been an increase in focus in my students that i've never seen before. This book is an incredible resource for anything and everything you want - from strategic tihnking and problem solving to "math stories" , you and your students will love the creative and out of the box ways you engage and interact. Each activity also clearly states what anchor standard is addressed - this makes planning lessons SOOO much easier. I love how the book is organized - Strategies for building community, strategies for social development, strategies for skills development in english and social studies etc. etc., it is wonderful! Highly recommend this for anyone who is looking to enhance their lessons for their students.

I was really inspired by this book! It's geared toward building skills listed on students' IEPs, as well as their self-confidence and social skills. Each morning meeting idea is laid out in a formulaic way that is extremely useful for the extensive reporting and IEP management that is required of SPED teachers. The procedure for each is detailed and anticipates possible areas of confusion, and the careful planning means that teachers who are already pressed for time don't have to spend the extra minutes trying to figure out how to accomplish each task. The book had a sense of joy imbued in it--all the discussion of the students' needs talk about them with affection and respect, and the cartoons and pictures make the book feel compassionate and approachable. This book is an excellent investment for a SPED teacher looking to bring variety and life skills to every day of learning with their students.

For any teacher who remembers the start of the school day being about taking attendance and making announcements, this book will change your mind completely. The concepts of increasing focus and engagement are targeted for special education students, but I found with my class that all students benefitted from being responsible for their own learning and being part of a classroom community. Starting the academic day off with a morning meeting allowed me to “take the temperature” of the group and individual students, and to head off any issues that are right below the surface. I couldn’t help but notice how organizational techniques learned in the morning meeting supported students throughout the day, and modeled for them, how to be organized. The 101 fun and creative ideas in Morning Meeting for Special Education Classrooms are more than enough to get morning meetings started and maintained, to build community and the habits and traits students need for academic success.

The book is packed with a lot of different activities (its about 230 pages, and each activity only takes up 1 to 2 pages), so you won’t be repeating them unless they are particularly loved by the students. There is a small section at the end of each activity labelled “Anchor Standard” that lets you know what part of the standard the meeting is addressing, like Personal Timeline address SL. 1, 4, and 5. The appendix has the handouts- templates and worksheets- that you can just photocopy and not have to create from scratch. Overall, I’d say its completely helpful for not only teachers but nannies or stay at home parents who have a child or children they have to corral in the morning who aren’t quite in the school system yet but need to have structure. It’s all do-able in the living room too!

Nothing new here. It mentioned that it was good for Special Learners, but students need good language skills to participate. It may be helpful for new teachers.

This is an informative, helpful book and it arrived quickly and in great shape! I love it!

Great book just as advertised