Engaging students in culturally relevant morning meetings

The purpose of this study was to understand what happens to student participation when the student\u27s Funds of Knowledge are used in Morning Meeting. Prior to this research, Morning Meeting was not inclusive of all of its participants and left the researcher wondering what components were missing to the current Morning Meeting framework. What motivates and engages students to participate in Morning Meeting guided the research study. Qualitative research was utilized in the study, which focused on student talk within Morning Meeting. A teacher\u27s research journal, audio recordings, surveys, student interviews, and student journal responses were used to collect and analyze data from the Morning Meeting session. The data that was collected was analyzed through the use of triangulation and coding of student participation patterns and talk in order to determine themes that emerged from the study. Based on data analysis the use of culturally relevant and responses as well as providing student choice, helped to motivate and engage students as well as build positive relationships among the students in the classroom. Utilizing students\u27 Funds of Knowledge demonstrated positive effects on overall student engagement and motivation. As teachers of diverse classrooms, utilizing this practice is crucial to student success