How do you engage students in a morning meeting or closing circle? Let’s be honest: encouraging participation can sometimes feel like pulling teeth, especially with quieter students or on those “off” days. Read on for ten thoughtful strategies to promote student participation!
How to Encourage Student Participation in Morning Meeting
If you’ve ever found yourself asking, “How can I encourage students to participate more during these moments?” you’re definitely not alone.
The good news? With these creative strategies, you can create a space where students feel comfortable and even excited to speak up.
Whether it’s adding visuals or giving them choices, these ideas will help make your morning meetings a place where everyone wants to join in.
#1. Set the Tone for Student Participation
“Kids don’t do as you say; they do as you do.” You know the saying, right? I believe this principle applies in the classroom as well.
If you want students to share something somewhat vulnerable, model it! If you want them to share something positive, negative, or indifferent, model it!
Show students that you’re human, too. So, during a closing circle and a moment of reflection on a positive topic, that might look like: “One thing I’m proud of today is how I worked with you all on the science project.”
Trust me, when students see your humanness, it’ll make a huge difference.
#2. Incorporate Visual Aids
This one is for my visual learners especially. You want students to want to participate. It may be as simple as using fun, engaging visuals on your morning meeting slides to excite them!
Honestly, you don’t have to go crazy. Just add some pizazz, you know?
#3. Think-Pair-Share
Students often just aren’t confident in their speaking abilities or fear public speaking.
Before having students share their answers with the entire class, allow them to discuss them with a partner first.
This can boost confidence, as they’re not forced to think ‘on the fly,’ and they can confide in just one person first.
Alternatively, just do a partner share instead of forcing them to tell the whole group their response.
#4. Offer Choices: Respecting Autonomy
You can never go wrong with student choice!
Let students pick from two prompts so that they feel there’s an element of control in the process.
For example, during a closing circle this might look like: “Would you like to share something you’re proud of or a shoutout for someone else?”
What does a closing circle look like? Check this quick TikTok video for an idea!
#5. Create a Safe Environment for Student Participation
When it comes down to it, you have to accept that not all students will want to participate. And that’s okay.
At the same time, it’s crucial to emphasize that all answers are valued. We want to create safe spaces for our students!
Equally as important, you should highlight that participation is voluntary. Do not force conversation. Nobody wants that — child or adult.
Finally, give students the option to “pass” if they aren’t comfortable. This keeps the meeting low-pressure and sets the precedent moving forward.
#6. Use Movement
One of the most fun ways to encourage student participation is to make it interactive!
Allow students to stand up or move to a specific corner of the room to represent their response to a question.
This is a win-win — get students moving and incorporate low-pressure methods that students can’t resist.😜
#7. Mix Up the Format
Sometimes, you just have to switch it up! Make it less mundane by alternating how students respond to the given prompts.
You can alternate between verbal sharing, writing reflections, or drawing responses to keep the activity fresh.
I’ve found that allowing students to draw their responses elicits an element of “cool” to the activity — they get to express themselves in a unique format. Seriously, give it a try!
#8. Recognize Contributions
Positive reinforcement always helps!
Sprinkle in student recognition like: “I love that idea!” or “Great observation; thanks for sharing!” to encourage more participation.
You can also create a slide where students can collectively write their own answers to the question. Additionally, you can collect all responses and write the most common ones, thanking students as they share.
#9. Tailor Questions to the Day or Time of Year
This is one technique I learned rather informally. It was after one of those assemblies right at the end of the day where there’s sooo much buzz in the classroom after it’s over.
Since it was a science demonstration they’d just watched, I simply asked students during our closing circle, “What’s one thing you learned from the assembly today?”
Not only did it channel all that post-assembly buzz, but it kept the question relevant since the experience was top-of-mind.
After a break, you can even encourage students to share how it went (keeping sensitivities in mind- not all students had a great break!).
#10. Use a Talking Tool
To encourage student participation in younger grades, especially, you should do all you can to keep the discussion organized.
You’ll pass around an object (like a stress ball or a fun “talking stick”) to signal whose turn it is to share.
There’s less confusion, and the meeting is inclusive for all.
Improving Student Participation in Morning Meetings & Beyond
Getting students to participate doesn’t have to be a struggle! Whether you’re modeling reflection, letting them draw their responses, or just giving them the freedom to pass, these small tweaks can make a big difference.
Test some of these ideas during your next morning meeting activities or closing circle to discover what suits your class.
And hey, if you’ve got a go-to strategy for encouraging student participation, I’d love to hear it! Drop a comment and share your tips! 😊
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