If you walk into any veteran teacher’s classroom at the start of the school day I bet there is one thing that will stand out to you across all of them and that would be morning work. Morning work, bell ringers, entry tickets, starters, there are many names out there but the goals are still the same:

• Engage the students as they come into the classroom
• Provide a routine
• Set the day up for a good start

Morning work is often overlooked by some teachers who don’t understand the importance of morning work. Below will be an exploration of the goals behind incorporating a morning work routine. 

Student Engagement

The most common complaint students have about class is that they think it’s boring or that they aren’t excited. Add to this the fact that some students are still half asleep in the morning and teachers have a recipe for disaster on their hands. Morning work allows for students to be actively engaged by their teacher and material first thing in the morning as the bell rings.  Teachers like morning work because:

• It has students immediately engaging with the material
• It can be used to reinforce big ideas from previous days
• It can be used to pre-teach a concept for the day
• It can build excitement for the students as they get a preview of a lesson for the day
• It allows the students to become actively engaged on their own time.

A Set Routine

As much as kids would hate to admit it, they crave a set routine. Students young and old like the dependability of a set routine and look for it. While spontaneity can be nice in small doses students will have a hard time if they can’t pick out the pattern behind the way a classroom is run. While the content in morning work can be adapted to meet student needs as the year progresses the routine of starting the day with it will be a great boon for students. Here are some reasons students crave routines:

• It sets expectations for behavior
• It allows students to accurately predict their days
• Students gain ownership of their actions and internalize their habits
• Routines allow students to transition into the school day and between tasks quicker

Having a Great Start to the Day

Let’s face it, morning can be rough even if you are the world’s biggest morning person. Now factor in thirty plus children and adults who might not have slept well, or had their morning cup of coffee. With that scenario chances are that a bad day could occur. If students are being disruptive a stressed teacher may react negatively or perhaps two students get into a squabble over something pointless. Morning work takes these variables that could contribute to a negative day and neutralizes them. Here is how morning work can help a classroom:

• Morning work and a task keeps students occupied and stops disruptive students from getting off task
• By completing a task successfully first thing in the morning students start the day feeling productive
• While students are working teachers are able to get through some common duties like
  • Taking attendance
  • Finishing lunch orders
  • Gathering homework
  • Setting up the first lesson for the day
  • Helping students that are noticeably upset

Morning Work Ideas

If you are someone who wants to incorporate morning work into your daily routine there is no better time than the present! Some teachers are able to create morning work that is tailor fit to their classrooms and their students. For others, the task may seem daunting. Luckily enough there are tons of great resources out there! If you don’t want to or aren’t ready to reinvent the wheel there are great resources for morning work ideas that are already created.