I teach small groups of first and second graders who need to bring their math and reading skills up to their class level.

Late last fall, the principal asked teachers of small groups to consider implementing a short greet-and-share meeting, a kind of abbreviated morning meeting. Initially, I thought, "I have my students for only 25 minutes! How could I possibly add something else to the tight lesson plans I'm already using?" After further consideration, however, I saw the potential gain and found a way to do it.

A plan for success
After some experimentation, the abbreviated morning meeting in my Early Intervention in Reading class looks like this:

• Four to six students come to me from their homeroom. Upon arrival, they gather their materials, sit in a circle, and begin to read independently.
• We do a short greeting that includes something to share, such as favorite color, or a physical activity such as jumping jacks or touching your toes to perk up. A short morning message outlines the day's lesson and ends with a positive statement about students doing their best work.

Now that we have connected and previewed our day, we do our reading lesson. At first, I took the time to make sure everyone knew each other's name. I demonstrated proper eye contact and emphasized the importance of respectful behavior during our greeting and share. Initial share topics or interactive questions included: What do you like to do on a rainy day like today? What kind of pizza do you like? What holidays are you aware of in the month of_______? How do you celebrate?

What do you predict the weather will be tomorrow? At times I commented about what had been shared, such as everyone liked pepperoni pizza, or our favorite colors were all different and would make a beautiful rainbow. I also asked the students to comment on any patterns they saw in the answers.

Better relationships bring better learning
I was pleasantly surprised by the students' positive responses. Due to the bonds we've created, the group works together more successfully. Learning each other's names was helpful in building relationships. Discovering details-both similarities and differences-about each other gave us additional reference points for building community. The students felt more comfortable asking for help or offering assistance to each other. Pairing students and forming other group combinations worked better too. As a result, everyone grew both socially and academically. The students' reading skills improved more quickly than before.

The link between building a positive learning community and academic success is clear to me. Quick meetings like these would make an even a bigger difference in groups with behavior problems. With any small group, quick meetings are a worthwhile effort to enhance the learning process-any time of day. It's worth the effort.

Nancy Scott teaches math and reading to 1st and 2nd graders as a Title One Educational Support Professional at Fair Oaks Elementary School in Brooklyn Park MN.

This article first appeared in Origins: A Newsletter for Elementary Educators, Fall 2010