Morning meeting discussion questions are one of the easiest ways to start your day with connection instead of chaos. Instead of assigning morning work right away, use that time to let students talk, share, and build relationships! Read on to learn about the power of morning meeting discussion questions!
What Are Morning Meeting Discussion Questions?
Morning meeting discussion questions are short, open-ended prompts that help students share, connect, and practice speaking skills at the start of the day.
Teachers use them to build classroom community and create a positive morning routine that gets everyone ready to learn.
Why Morning Work Can’t Replace Morning Meeting Discussion Questions
The first thing you do in the morning when you arrive in the building is likely NOT work; you check in with colleagues first, chatting here and there.
What if you allowed your students to do that, too? What if you gave them the freedom of easing into their day without any tight restrictions on what they MUST do?
Instead of having students work for what may feel like forever, you can encourage grade-appropriate discussions using predictable morning meeting questions.
Why Use Morning Meeting Discussion Questions
Focus on the community-building aspect with this precious morning time. You and I know how precious this time is, as it sets the tone for the day, so use it to get everyone started on the right foot.
Often, students come in with a load of baggage that we, of course, cannot carry for them. However, we can make their time with us as positive and memorable as possible!
One way (and my favorite) is to utilize classroom discussion starters on Google Slides. There are many benefits to using discussions, including speaking practice, getting to know each other, community building, and overall engagement.
If you’re looking for more ways to get students actively involved in your discussions, check out these creative ways to increase student participation in Morning Meetings for simplestrategies that work with any class size or group!
Daily Morning Meeting Discussion Routines That Work
Even if you don’t do a traditional morning meeting, I would strongly recommend at least carving out time for daily discussions.
To make it easier on yourself, create a predictable routine for the questions you ask each day. Not only does this create familiarity for students, but it gets them excited because they know what to expect!
I’ve created yearlong morning meeting questions that correlate with each month of the school year so that all you have to do is project and teach – no laborious printing and prepping required!
How to Use Morning Meeting Discussion Questions Effectively
My slides help you foster meaningful discussion and be inclusive so all students can access the conversation. I’ve included a discussion starter, simple language, and REAL visuals for ELs or nonreaders.
You can use them first thing in the morning as morning check in questions.
Community circle questions can also work really well during morning meetings when you want students to share in a more reflective or discussion-based way!
Alternatively, display the slide and allow students to walk in and chat with their classmates!
If you’re cringing at the thought of that, implement a structured system that will enable discussions to flow naturally.
An example could be having students write their answers, then finding a partner or group to share with. You can then have a whole-group share afterward. Again, each day follows a familiar pattern:
My Weekend Monday
This day serves a twofold purpose. First, it allows the teacher to gauge students’ emotional states. It also allows students to elaborate and talk about their weekend, which many students can’t wait to do!
Top Two Tuesday
This day gives students a prompt to respond to. There will be a different topic, and they will state their response. Use the ‘examples’ slide to help generate ideas if students get stuck.
Would You Rather Wednesday
This is the traditional game of ‘Would You Rather.’ Students will see two options displayed and pick one. The real images truly help all students, but especially English Learners.
This or That Thursday
This day is similar to Wednesday. Students will see two options displayed and pick one. They will type their choice.
Fun Photo Friday
Essentially, students are creating a meme from the photo. They will look at the funny photo and generate a caption. I give students examples FIRST before doing the rest. I love to see their ideas!
FAQ: Morning Meeting Discussion Questions
1. What are good morning meeting discussion questions for elementary students?
Good daily discussion questions are simple, open-ended, and help students share opinions or experiences.
Examples: “What’s something that made you laugh this week?” or “Would you rather read a book or watch a movie?” Questions like these help build connection and confidence.
2. How do you come up with morning meeting discussion questions?
Start with categories like personal favorites, opinions, silly “would you rather,” or reflection prompts. You can brainstorm a few for each day of the week (like Top Two Tuesday or Fun Photo Friday).
Many teachers save time by using pre-made morning meeting slides with visuals and sentence starters.
3. How long should morning meeting discussions last?
It depends on your class and schedule, but even five minutes of structured conversation can make a big difference! A short daily question with partner or group sharing keeps it manageable and consistent.
FREE Morning Meeting Discussion Questions for Teachers
Hopefully, by now, you see the importance of utilizing daily morning meeting questions instead of laborious morning work because now it’s your turn! (No scary prep work involved, promise.)
Morning meeting discussion questions are simple to prep, easy to implement, and powerful for student connection. Whether you use them every day or a few times a week, your classroom community will thank you for it. 👇🏽
Try a free set of April Morning Meeting Discussion questions:
Download your April Morning Meeting questions below!
Click here to have the entire year of discussion slides prepped for you:
Or, choose individual months’ discussion slides that fit your needs!
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